Three 3
by Jei Enn
Summary: A very realistic, canon depiction of the infamous three years before the arrival of the Androids. Nobody is OOC, so if you're hoping for a lovey-dovey fic, don't read this one! Chapters are now edited/updated for mistakes, etc. **Chapter 17 up!**
1. Triangles

Triangles

****I'm only going to say this once, as it follows for the rest of the chapters in my story: I do not own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or its characters. All characters belong to Akira Toriyama.*****

* * *

_What is she doing here?_ Vegeta thought, waking up from a painful nightmare. It was that insufferable woman, sleeping at the desk by his bedside. Had she been there all night? Not that it really mattered—Vegeta had more important things to do. Even so, for that one second, he had forgotten about the painful injuries to his body and to his pride. Having no further intrigue as to why she was in the room, he removed the cables and oxygen and whatever the hell else that shit was keeping him in that bed, and headed back to the gravity simulator.

He had no idea how long he had been out of commission, but his wounds were not healed, that was for certain. No matter, the closer a Saiya-jin was to death, the stronger he got after recovery. He was determined to push himself as far as he could possibly go. Maybe this was the key to becoming a super Saiya-jin. If he could withstand 300...no…400 times normal gravity in his current state, then there was no telling what he could do once he was healed again. Regardless, the arrogant alien wanted to continue his training. That was when her nagging voice and annoying face appeared on the monitor, causing him to lose focus.

"Vegeta, you are in no condition to be training right now! Those injuries will never heal if you keep that up!" the blue haired heiress shrieked.

Vegeta hit the ground, as he had been taken by surprise. He was completely pissed off that she made him lose his concentration, and he seriously hurt himself from the harsh impact. He stared at the screen, which was zoomed in on her angry face, and she wouldn't shut up. He needed to train.

"Do you want to die in three years?" He scowled.

"Of course not, I'd much rather live! I'm a beautiful woman, and I only get better with age y'know," She said slyly, tilting her head to the side.

"In that case, SHUT UP!"

* * *

Bulma gasped. His reaction to her inquiry had her completely taken aback. She couldn't help but let her emotion escape her face as she frowned worriedly before turning off the screen and leaving Vegeta to his business. He did have a point though. If they had any hope of defeating the artificial humans in three years, they would need Vegeta's help. He was only second to Son-kun in strength, making him one very powerful ally. But Bulma knew he was seriously injured, and feared for his death. She didn't want him to die, the earth needed him.

Was that the only reason she feared his death? She couldn't deny that ever since he moved into the Capsule Corp headquarters that she had felt an attraction to him. She once feared him intensely, shaking at the mere thought of coming face to face with him. Now he was living under the same roof as her. Her attraction to him wasn't only physical, but the mysteriousness of his character, as well as the challenge of even interacting with him was somewhat exciting. She did try to be nice and hospitable towards him while he had been there, but thought it was fun to push his buttons when she could. He could blow them all up at any time, but she knew that he wouldn't. He needed her and Capsule Corp if he had any chances of getting the type of training that Goku had on his way to Namek, ultimately realizing the Super Saiyan transformation. She knew he was at her mercy, and she reveled in how the tables had turned for the young prince.

* * *

Yamucha had also noticed the subtle attraction Bulma had toward Vegeta, and he did not like it one bit. It was because of that creep that Earth had almost been destroyed, and the reason for his own death. How could that jerk be gallivanting around Capsule Corp like it was nothing? He only served as an ally to Goku because he wanted the stupid dragon balls to wish for immortality to take over the universe, and he himself was no match for Frieza, so he had no choice but to team up with Earth's forces. It's not like he really had a change of heart or anything; he simply took an opportunity when he saw it. Jerk.

For Bulma to be helping him out and letting him stay there bothered the living shit out of him. If that wasn't bad enough, she seemed to be attracted to the idiot. He saw the way she looked at him and took note of her flirtatious comments. _Vegeta-kun_ she would say. Ugh, it was disgusting. Now she was looking all worried about him after the gravity room explosion. The way she held him in her arms after finding him in the rubble…the way she stayed by his bedside all night with that worried look on her face. He wondered if she was as worried about him after he died.

Not that Yamucha could lie to himself, he was also worried when Vegeta was hurt in the explosion. He could have blown Capsule Corp up with his recklessness, but he also knew that they all needed him to help fight against the artificial humans. Depending on Vegeta in this way made him sick to his stomach, but he had no other choice but to do so. He knew he was out of his league when it came to strength in comparison to Goku and Vegeta.

* * *

Vegeta turned off the gravity simulator. He couldn't train any further. If that stupid woman hadn't distracted him, maybe he could have continued a little bit longer. He knew his injuries would keep him from training too long—he didn't need that simpleton telling him that.

Vegeta hated his predicament. First, he lost in battle to that low-class Saiyan Kakarrot, who ultimately defeated Frieza. The fact that HE was the one to avenge their race...he hated that lowlife. Not only that, but he was a super Saiyan of legend, something that was a birth right to the elite class. The only satisfaction he could find in the situation was that Frieza died at the hands of a super Saiyan—however, he couldn't stop his agony of wishing it was his hands that dealt the final blow. If that wasn't bad enough, another super Saiya-jin appeared, warning them of the artificial humans to come in three years. While Kakarrot had three years to get even stronger, Vegeta had only three years to catch up to two low class Saiyans, and surpass them. What the hell was going on here?

To add insult to injury, he had to stay on Earth, the very planet he was trying to destroy. He was forced comply with the demands of that vulgar woman and be civil with those disgusting Earthlings. He had no money and no place to stay, and foraging in the wild was no place for a prince. He admitted he was relieved that he was able to stay with the wealthiest people on the planet, and had access to their excellent technology, but in a sense, he was still being controlled. He had to restrain himself from blowing up the planet and remain as civil as he possibly could to keep the hospitality that Capsule Corp provided. He also needed them to build him the training tools he needed to give him an advantage over Kakarrot and those other fools.

Vegeta hated needing anybody. He absolutely despised it. Being at the mercy of anyone—when he was brought up to believe that he would one day rule all—completely destroyed him. The prince of no one, ruler of nothing. He had never felt so lonely and helpless in his life. Everything he wanted to achieve, taken from him; his destiny ripped to shreds. The only thing keeping him present was the threat of the artificial humans, and most of all, becoming a super Saiyan of legend. He needed to kill these stupid artificial humans as fast as he could, so he could then focus his energy on defeating Kakarrot. Once he did that, maybe, just maybe, he could fulfill his destiny; his birthright. It was time for a hot shower.

After agonizing over his predicament, he knew he needed to tend to his wounds. He needed to heal as fast as possible. Once again, he had to ask a favor of that stupid woman. Maybe he could find her dimwit father and ask him to make sure he recovered as quickly as possible, but the damn place was so big, and he didn't know his way around all that well. That old man was always hard to find, and he knew it was inevitable that he would run into that annoying Earth woman and have to ask her to do it. He really didn't want to. He was tired, and wanted desperately to return to bed, but he knew his recovery had to be top priority.

* * *

Bulma saw a battered Vegeta stumbling through the hallways of Capsule Corp. He was heading toward the kitchen. She couldn't even be mad at him, he looked so pitiful. She doubted he would be able to eat as much as he usually did. Saiyans were bottomless pits when it came to eating, but him seeking any kind of nourishment would do him some good.

Instead of leaving Vegeta to his solitude, she could not help but to follow him. Maybe she could convince him to tend to his wounds instead of engaging in the reckless training he had become accustomed to.

"_Vegeta-kun…"_

_

* * *

_

Ugh. He was hoping she would follow him so he could talk to her, but he really hated it when she called him that. How dare she address him in such terms of endearment? He found it insulting. The man who was once referred to as Vegeta-sama—or even better, Vegeta no Ouji…her refusal to call him Vegeta-san at the very least only reminded him of his loss of status. He was not her close friend or lover, and she had no right to address him in such a manner. He only put up with it because he needed her services, but it was only a matter of time before he snapped. Right now he was too weak to engage in such mindless bickering.

"I need to recover as quickly as possible," he said without emotion. There wasn't even a hint of animosity in his words. It was obvious that he was in a great deal of pain; he at least expressed annoyance, anger, or arrogance in his words.

"I figured as much. Lucky for you my father and I are in the process of building one of those medical machines you had described. It's not quite finished yet, so until it is you will have to be on bed rest."

"Alright then."

Vegeta headed back to his room to sleep, without even taking anything to eat. He was exhausted, and he didn't want to engage in anymore conversation with that woman. She always seemed to follow him in there. At least she was smart enough to know that he had to go there every day, and had the best chance of running into him there. Her attraction toward him was obvious, and it was annoying. She already had a mate anyway, how vulgar of her. He laid down on his bed, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

After seeing Vegeta train, Yamucha decided it was time to go on a training journey. He had to get out of this place and the negative energy that Vegeta brought wherever he went. Every time he saw that nut case they argued, almost to the point of physical combat. He didn't want to leave Bulma alone with him, but he figured she could take care of herself. She would understand that he needed to train just as badly as the rest of Earth's defenders. He would at least say goodbye before leaving.

Yamucha headed toward the Capsule Corp laboratory, where she would undoubtedly be working with her father on yet another invention to appease Vegeta. Trying to fight off his annoyance at the sight of her and her father working on the contraption, he entered the room.

"Hey Bulma, Puar and I are going to go out and train for a while. I might not be back for a couple weeks. I might even meet up with Goku and the others, and make a trip to old timer Muten Roshi's for a bit to see what Krillin is up to."

Bulma stopped what she was doing and turned to face him. She did love Yamucha, and was sad he was leaving, but she understood the importance of the matter. She walked up to him and gave him a gripping hug. She looked into his eyes and kissed him forcefully, as if telling him that she wished him well, but would undoubtedly miss him. Yamucha was grateful for her reaction, as he wondered if she had been straying from him. Bulma pulled away from the kiss, slowly unwrapping her arms from around him. She looked at him deep in his eyes, holding back tears, but not being able to keep her eyes from watering.

"Be careful Yamucha, but don't be gone too long ok?" she said with an understanding smile.

"I won't babe, don't you worry. I'll be back in no time. I hope you can handle living with Vegeta without me around for a bit."

"It won't be a problem. I hardly see him anyways, he's always in that gravity room training," she said, with a slight smugness in her voice.

"All right then babe, I'll see you in a few weeks. I'll call you when I'm at Muten Roshi's."

"Sounds good," she smiled. At least he would call her. This made her feel better about his departure. "I'll see you soon Yamucha!"

* * *

After a hard day's work on the medical machine/healing chamber thingamabob Vegeta _sooo_ insisted that they build for him, Bulma retired to her room. She couldn't help but think about Yamucha. The passion between them had been fading, but she tried her hardest to cling to him. She could tell that he was straying further and further away from her with each passing day, and she wanted to pull him closer.

Or did she?

Their relationship had become boring—he was the only man she had ever been with, as was she the only woman he had been with. Was there something better out there?

_Of course not_, she thought, _every relationship has its ups and downs._ _What's better than having my first love be my only love? We have been together for so many years now. He really loves me, and he's not going anywhere. _They had been together for so long it was like they were married already…

Bulma's stomach dropped. Was Yamucha planning to propose to her? She didn't know how she felt about marriage in general, let alone a marriage with Yamucha. Marriage…something about it just wasn't her style. Maybe Yamucha was the right person for her to settle down with and have a family after all…


	2. When One Door Closes

When One Door Closes...

Three weeks went by and there was still no word from Yamucha. Bulma thought she could handle the separation, but she felt so alone. Vegeta had healed and spent virtually all of his time in the gravity room, Son-kun and the others were too busy training to come visit, her father was constantly working on new projects in the lab, her mother was constantly out shopping and taking care of her insane amount of animals, and there was NO way she was about to call Chi-Chi. She decided she would call the Turtle Hermit Roshi, and see if Yamucha had even been there at all.

"Moshi moshi?" Muten Roshi answered.

"Hey Mr. Roshi, it's Bulma. I was just wondering if you've heard from Yamucha at all. He's been gone for a few weeks and hasn't called…"

"Oooi, Yamucha!" Roshi called out, "Bulma's on the phone, she wants to talk to you!"

_Oh shit_, thought Yamucha. He totally forgot to call her. She was sure to be pissed off at him, and he did not feel like dealing with her attitude. She could be so unbearable at times.

"Tell her I'm going out to the city to pick up some things, I'll call her back later!" he shouted back.

"Oi, Bulma-"

"It's ok, I heard the idiot. Tell him calling won't be necessary," Bulma said sternly, hanging up the phone. _He had better be going out to the city_, she thought. Maybe he wasn't planning to propose to her after all…maybe he was simply avoiding her. This outraged Bulma. Although she wasn't exactly keen on the idea of marriage, had Yamucha proposed to her, she just might have said yes. She figured she might as well follow her mother's example and indulge in some good old fashioned shop therapy.

* * *

Even though Yamucha was partially avoiding Bulma, he wasn't completely lying. He just didn't want to listen to her yelling and nagging. He told her he was going to be gone for a while. Although he felt bad—he indeed had forgotten to call her like he had told her he would, but he wasn't about to get into another "lover's quarrel" over it. He WAS going to the city to pick up a few things for Muten Roshi. Maybe if he picked something up for Bulma she wouldn't be so mad at him when he called her back.

Making his way through the city, Yamucha couldn't help but notice something he was never allowed to look at before…beautiful women! They were everywhere! He couldn't help but look. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong…he was just looking. He had been with Bulma and only Bulma for so many years. He had never been in any other relationship before, and he never really had the chance to even so much as look at another woman. He was glad that Bulma got him to get over his fear of women, but now that he wasn't afraid of them, he couldn't talk to them anyway…he was in a serious relationship.

* * *

Bulma saw him looking all right. What the hell was Yamucha doing, ogling at a bunch of stupid girls! The moron was just STARING at them with big googly eyes and his tongue hanging out. Bulma was outraged. She could have just walked up to him and started screaming at him, but decided she wasn't going to say anything. Still, at least if she was attracted to someone, it wasn't as obvious or as disgusting like the show he was putting on.

* * *

Still he was looking, not cheating, Yamucha concluded, and he was gladly looking. Ugh, why did he have to be so deathly afraid of women before he met Bulma? He would have loved to flirt with any one of those girls, just to see if he was as irresistible as he thought. No doubt he wouldn't have any trouble; he was a famous baseball player, after all. He just wondered if he even had the nerve. It was time to boost his ego and get some of the adoration and attention he _oh _so desired.

* * *

Bulma was fuming. Yamucha had women huddled around him, giving him the same googly eyes and faces that he had been giving them earlier. _Oh yeah Yamucha, you are just soooo irresistible_, Bulma thought. She had had enough. She thought this guy wanted to marry her, and here he was, flirting with a bunch of skanks right in front of her face. Granted he didn't know that Bulma could see him, but that almost made it worse. She had not spent what seemed like her entire life with someone only to watch him boost his ego by being around a bunch of other women. He never once shooed them away, stated that he was seeing someone, or acknowledged her in any way. He was flirting back with them and acting like a womanizer.

What he was doing was completely inappropriate, and it did not help her feeling of distance from him. First he didn't call, then he avoided her, and now when he was supposed to be running errands, he was acting like a playboy. She decided then and there, that she could not handle his celebrity status. No matter where he went, women would be following him around, and with the way he was acting, it wouldn't be long before he gave in to all of the temptation quite literally surrounding him. Pssh, and let's not forget about all the times he was late for one of their dates, or even worse, failed to show up! Yamucha could be such a flake! Ugh, it was time to go home.

* * *

"Oooi, Vegetable-san, have some wine with me!" Bulma slurred.

"Are you drunk?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Y'know Vege-san, you should shtop worrying about the Carrot for a shecond and loosen up a little bit! Here I'll pour ya a glass right now!"

"Wha—" Vegeta stammered.

"Yeah yeah, c'mon c'mon!"

"I'm not drinking with you woman…" Vegeta managed to get out. He really didn't know what to make of this situation.

"Oh, you're just being a jerk because you're mad that you'll never be as strong as Goku. Or Carrot… whatever you call him," Bulma said, eyes glazed over, "Besides, this is a celebration!"

"And what are we celebrating exactly?" Vegeta was getting annoyed now, yet too intrigued to just walk away. He rarely had any interpersonal contact with anyone, and he was genuinely curious as to what the woman was celebrating.

"Didn't you know? I broke up with Yamucha today silly!"

"Congratulations," Vegeta said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"So join me Vege-chan!"

Ugh. He knew she was drunk, but did she really have to call him that?

"I don't think so," Vegeta said, walking away.

"Whatever, you're nothing but a big loser anyway. Big loser to Son-kun, big loser of super Saiyans, and big loser of losers. You even lost your tail, you loser!"

Vegeta stopped, clenching his teeth. Although she was drunk and hardly made sense, he wanted to blast her into oblivion for saying that. It was bad enough that he HAD felt like a big "loser" as she put it, for not being stronger than Kakarrot, constantly being surpassed by him, only to have that stupid lowlife save his life…

"If it gets you to SHUT UP, then FINE!" he cracked in his frustration. Maybe he did need one after all; at least something to take this edge off. He hated his whole life right now, and drinking with this incessant woman would probably be the best thing that had happened to him since he arrived on this cursed planet.


	3. Tension

Tension

"AHHHHH!" Bulma screamed loudly as she woke up. Oh Kami, Vegeta was laying next to her in bed! And she was practically on top of him! _What the hell happened last night?_ She wondered. _Oh yeah, Yamucha... _

When he called her back that day, she told him what she saw. It seemed like he was waiting for an excuse to break up with her. He accused her of spying, she accused him of cheating, and before they knew it, Bulma declared she was done with him for good, and hung up the phone. She meant it too. Then she decided to start drinking some wine during her bought of depression, when she ran into Vegeta and…

Vegeta jumped straight up. He looked to his left, wide eyed, as he stared at the blue haired Earth woman, her legs lying over his waist. What the hell was she screaming about? Better yet, what the hell was she doing in his bed?

"What's your problem?" Vegeta's voice boomed back.

"What did you do to me? You took advantage of me when I was drunk didn't you!"

She couldn't believe it! If she had done anything with Vegeta, she would at least have liked to remember it…she looked around the room and realized she was in HIS bed, and not hers. She wondered if she had gone into the room herself or if he had brought her there.

"If I had my way with you, woman, you wouldn't be able to walk for days!" he exclaimed, angrily.

What would make that woman even THINK that he would touch her, or have any interest in her what so ever? Well, maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was in his bed...Vegeta realized he needed to start explaining some things to her, so she didn't get the wrong idea.

"I left and went to bed. You were so drunk you came in my room to sleep next to me. I told you to get out but you passed out, and I was too lazy to wake you up, so I just went to bed," Vegeta explained quietly. Although he didn't show it, he was quite embarrassed. He went to bed after listening to her bark about how much she hated Yamucha. When he felt her slip under the covers next to him, he just let her. He was too tired to push her out, and she seemed to fall asleep instantly. Had he not have been a little tipsy himself, he might have anticipated the awkward situation the next morning and just kicked her out. He didn't expect her to end up practically on top of him when he awoke though.

"Oh. I must have thought I was in my room. Sorry…" Bulma said, blushing.

"So…would you get off?"

"Huh? Oh!" Bulma exclaimed, quickly removing her legs off of Vegeta and onto the floor. She laughed nervously, "Sorry about that, I must have mistaken you for a pillow or something! Ha ha ha!"

"Hmm?" Vegeta groaned in confusion. His eyes widened when he realized she wasn't even in the room anymore. She had left before he could even say anything further. Oh well, it was better off that way. He really had nothing more to say; the situation had made him uncomfortable. It would be best to avoid her for a while and get back to training. Vegeta had more important things to worry about than a late night sleepover with a drunken fool.

* * *

Bulma ran out of Vegeta's room so fast, it was incomprehensible. She had just broken up with Yamucha for his excessive flirting with other women and for his lack of attention and emotion towards her, and that very same night she ends up sleeping in another man's bed! And not just any man, but Vegeta! The very man responsible for Yamucha's own death, and the one person who Yamucha absolutely despised! _Well, at least I broke up with him first_, she thought. Besides, who knows what Yamucha did last night…

Bulma wondered if she had made a mistake by breaking up with Yamucha. _No, it wasn't a mistake…_she thought to herself, sadly. This breakup had been a long time coming. She had felt so distant from him for so long. The spark was gone. However, just because she had expected that they would break up, it didn't make the ending of their relationship any less painful. Even if she was drunk, and even if it was Vegeta, she needed to talk to somebody about it.

* * *

Vegeta decided his training was done for the day. It was time for dinner, and he was hungrier than usual today. He had successfully avoided Bulma for 2 weeks, but running into her today was a risk he was just going to have to take. He couldn't wait until everyone was asleep to go back into the house and get himself something to eat, and he would rather eat what the woman's mother was cooking anyhow. Ugh, except he knew that bimbo would make him stay and eat with them, and ask him a whole bunch of ridiculous questions. She would probably even tell him to take her out on a date in the presence of her own husband. Bulma's mother was more of a shameful flirt than even she was.

"Oh Vegeta, I haven't seen you in weeks! I was wondering if you were even still here! How nice of you to come and join Bulma and me for dinner!" Bulma's mother chirped happily. She really was annoying. She was completely oblivious to Vegeta's violent nature, as well as his past endeavors. It pained him to put up with her, but she honestly confused him so much, he wouldn't be able to think of a way to insult her even if he tried. The scatterbrained woman probably wouldn't understand it anyway; she would probably just smile and say "That's nice!" or something stupid like that.

Bulma immediately turned around, stared directly into the Saiyan's eyes, and then, almost as immediately, dropped her gaze to the floor. She didn't want him to see her looking at him, but she hadn't expected him to be standing so close to her and her mother when she turned around. He usually kept a good amount of distance between himself and others. That was, except, for that night two weeks ago when she had slept in his bed. _Oh well_, she thought, _What's done is done. I'm over it. I just hope he doesn't say anything about it in front of my mother._

"Oh, hi Yamucha! I didn't know we would be having so many handsome men joining us for dinner tonight! I should have put on more makeup!" Mrs. Briefs exclaimed happily, "Bulma you should have said something!"

Bulma's body immediately stiffened.

"I didn't know either of them were coming, mother…" she said in a low voice.

"Well, it's a lovely surprise, isn't it?"

Vegeta swiftly turned his head to face Yamucha. A scowl immediately formed across his face. He was hoping he wouldn't have to see that idiot anymore since he and the woman ended their relations.

"Uh…hey Bulma…" Yamucha said, nervously looking at her. He really wanted to talk to her. He missed her very much, and still loved her. He wanted to repair his relationship with her—he realized this in the two weeks that he hadn't spoken to her. He went on various dates with other women during that time, but none of them seemed to compare to her. He was a fool for even thinking about other women. The separation made him realize how much he really did care for her, and he was hoping that she had shared the same realization.

"If you came here to try to get back with me Yamucha, you can forget it," Bulma said sternly. When she said it was over this time, she meant it. Although he had been exploring his horizons with other women, she had not done the same with other men. She was lonely, frustrated, and hurt by his actions. He had scorned her for the last time.

Yamucha dropped his head in defeat. Was it really over this time?

Vegeta's scowl turned into a smirk. He crossed his arms and looked at Yamucha's pathetic figure.

"Since you aren't wanted here, feel free to leave at any time," he taunted.

"Shut up Vegeta, this doesn't concern you," Yamucha said coldly, looking up and flashing an angry glare at Vegeta.

"Oh, sure it does! You're an idiot, and your presence irritates me. If the woman doesn't want you in her house, that's fine by me. So get out."

"You don't have the authority to tell me to do anything!"

"Assumptions like that could get you killed, weakling."

"What does everyone want to drink?" Mrs. Briefs asked, completely unaware of the fight taking place right in front of her.

"What makes you think that you're wanted here any more than I am?" Yamucha spat back, "In fact, you're probably even less welcomed here than I am, and I know Bulma can't stand you!"

"Oh really?" Vegeta asked, letting a few laughs escape him, "Last time I checked, I was welcomed here with open arms!"

"Ha! Are you serious? Nobody likes you Vegeta. Nobody wants you around. The only reason anyone puts up with you around here is because they feel threatened by you!"

"Well, the woman sure didn't feel threatened by me when she was sleeping in my bed!"

"VEGETA!" Bulma interrupted, her face turning a flush shade of pink.

"Bulma, are you dating Vegeta now? I told you I wanted to go out with him! Is everybody ready to eat now?" Bulma's mother asked.

"No we are NOT dating and YES, I for one, am ready to eat! The only way to get these barbarians to shut up is to let them shove food down their throats!"

"Bulma…so it's true then?" Yamucha asked, turning his attention away from Vegeta to face her.

_Ugh, WHY did Vegeta just HAVE to go and say that! Now I'm supposed to explain myself in front of my own mother, and to Yamucha!_ Bulma thought angrily. She hoped that Vegeta would have kept that bit of information to himself. She did not want ANYONE to know about that, and now the one person she especially didn't want to know demanded an explanation out of her.

Vegeta laughed at Yamucha's predicament. He couldn't stand that imbecile, and he couldn't help but to really hit him where it hurts. It had almost seemed like a blessing that he let the woman sleep next to him that night, as if it was all for this very moment. It was the perfect opportunity to really humiliate Yamucha.

"Oh, it's true alright. She can't deny it. She's been after me ever since she asked me to stay here, it's quite obvious."

"I have not!" Bulma exclaimed, her face getting hot. Was it really that obvious that she was attracted to him? She didn't think that anyone could tell. How embarrassing!

"So that's why you really broke up with me, isn't it?" Yamucha asked angrily, "You were just looking for an excuse to break up with me because you have the hots for Vegeta!"

"Yamucha, you're an idiot! I had plenty of reasons to want to break up with you. I was drinking because I was so depressed about losing you. I was completely wasted when I fell asleep next to Vegeta. Besides, you'd have to be drunk to want to be anywhere near that jerk!"

"What was that, woman?" Vegeta said lowly, glaring at her.

_Great, now they're both glaring at me._

"Can we please just eat dinner already?" She yelled.

"Hmph." Vegeta scowled. He was hungry, and he was sick of this nonsense.

"I've suddenly lost my appetite. It was a mistake for me to come here to try and work things out with you, I'm out," Yamucha said with finality.

"Fine, leave. I'm surprised you showed up here anyway. You can't even show up for a date, you stupid jerk!"

"FINE!" Yamucha yelled, storming out of the kitchen and out of Capsule Corporation.

* * *

She could go to Hell for all he cared. Sleeping next to Vegeta, how foul! Then again, he was actively dating other women. He had wasted no time playing the field, and she had only ended up in bed with that creep because she had been drinking. And she had been drinking because she was depressed about breaking up with him…

_I'm such an idiot!_ Yamucha thought. He let his feelings of anger, jealousy, and possession escape him. He was a hypocrite for being so angry with her, but he just couldn't help it! He absolutely positively despised Vegeta! How dare he even let Bulma come into his room! Besides, if he didn't want her there, he could have easily removed her. That stupid punk must have wanted her in his bed! He probably would have done something to her if she had advanced toward him in a drunken state instead of falling asleep. Fucking creep.

* * *

Meanwhile at the dinner table, Vegeta was actively stuffing his face. He did feel a sense of accomplishment by letting that moron hear of how his ex lover was attracted to him, but he did not like what she had said. Did she really only want to be around him because she was drunk? She was always calling him that stupid name…_Vegeta-kun_. Maybe she wasn't attracted to him at all. That harpy was probably just calling him that because she knew he hated it.

* * *

Bulma wondered how obvious her attraction toward Vegeta really was. She did not want him to know that she found him to be good looking, and was intrigued by the cloud of mystery that surrounded him. This was such a horrible day for her. She had been hoping to run into Vegeta for a while now, and when she finally did, that no good Yamucha had to show up, and Vegeta just had to completely humiliate her in front of him and her mother. She was absolutely pissed off.

* * *

Mrs. Briefs was an oblivious woman, but even she could feel the tension between Bulma and Vegeta as they sat at the table in silence, eating their meals. Well, what Vegeta was doing was more like inhaling, but that was beside the point.

"You guys shouldn't be angry with each other, I'm really happy that Bulma has found a new boyfriend so quickly! Now you don't have to be sad about Yamucha anymore dear, you and Vegeta are a really cute couple!"

Vegeta almost choked.

"MOTHER!" Bulma whined, "Vegeta is not my boyfriend! I don't even like him!"

"But he really stood up for you against Yamucha! Who else would do that but a boyfriend?"

"He wasn't sticking up for me mom, he was just trying to embarrass me…"

"No, I was trying to get that idiot to leave—I can't stand him. Embarrassing you was just a consolation prize," Vegeta explained.

"See Bulma, he wanted Yamucha to leave because he doesn't want you around your ex boyfriends while you're dating him!"

Bulma let out a loud sigh and stared down at her plate. Her mother was only making her feel worse. How many times was she going to have to explain the situation to her mother before she got it?

* * *

Vegeta didn't feel the need to respond to any of Mrs. Brief's comments. They were too absurd. At least she could cook, and at least he wouldn't have to worry about running into that buffoon called Yamucha anymore.

Vegeta interrupted his own thoughts of victory when he realized how much he had enjoyed what had just happened. He was happy to let everyone know that Bulma had slept next to him…did that mean that he indeed wanted her there when it happened? He didn't make any attempt to remove her from his quarters. He had even let her share his bed with him! He was angry that she said she would have never wanted to do so had she not been intoxicated.

Wait, why was he even THINKING about it? At least he wasn't thinking about Kakarrot…

"Thanks for dinner mom. I'm going to my room now…" Bulma said quietly.

"Oh, you're welcome dear!" Mrs. Briefs said, smiling.

Vegeta decided he was done eating and would follow the woman upstairs. He had no intention of being alone with her mother.

"Why are you following me?" Bulma asked him as they both made their way up the stairs.

"Did you forget that my room is up here also? You had no problem finding it before," Vegeta commented, sarcastically.

"Oh will you give it a rest? I know you must feel proud of yourself for having a woman as beautiful as me even grace you with my presence, but don't get a big head about it."

"Don't insult me woman. I've been with women far more beautiful than you, and they were happy to do more than simply 'grace me with their presence.'"

"Oh please. The first and last time you saw a vagina was when you came out of your mother's," Bulma shot back.

"I know it may be difficult for you to understand, but just because I spent my life on spaceships and blowing up planets for a living, that does not mean that I've never laid with a woman before."

"Ugh, rape doesn't count," Bulma said with utter repulsion.

"I'm a murderer, not a rapist," Vegeta informed her.

"Well, I feel sorry for anyone who was hired to have sex with you."

"Don't be, it's their job. Besides, they enjoyed themselves. They should have been the ones paying me!" Vegeta scoffed. Bulma headed toward her room. Vegeta had no intention of letting her leave his sights. He was sick and tired of thinking about Kakarrot, his inability to become a Super Saiyan, his loss of stature as a prince, his loneliness, his failures, and everything else that tormented him. Every time he was around her, he didn't think about any of those things. Even if she annoyed him beyond belief; even though he couldn't stand her—the way she bitched and moaned all the time—it was better than thinking about any of the things that plagued him.

"So what, you're just going to walk away and cry in your room?" He teased, "For a woman with such intelligence, I find it absolutely astounding that you were ever with that fool Yamucha, let alone be pathetic enough to weep over him."

"You know Vegeta, your insults aren't as biting when you sneak compliments into them," Bulma said cockily, turning from her doorway to face him, a smirk painted across her face. He didn't even realize that he called her intelligent. She was used to him calling her a "stupid woman" all the time. _Besides, if it's an argument Vegeta wants, then it's an argument Vegeta gets!_ She thought, triumphantly. Bulma was so pissed off at him for what he did earlier. She would love to get back at him by damaging his ego, the way he had done to her.

"I can only imagine how happy you must be, hearing a 'compliment' from me. It's probably your dream to hear me call you beautiful and intelligent, we both know that you want me," Vegeta shot back, returning the smirk on her face with one of his own.

"You really are an idiot," Bulma started, "Yes Vegeta, you're handsome, whoopty fucking doo. Your personality really sucks. I have no desire to do anything with you other than to scream at you and tell you how ridiculous you are for being so happy that someone actually finds you attractive."

"Oh? So you admit it then?"

"I have no problem admitting anything to you, Vegeta. I'm not scared of you either. Go crazy and blow up the planet, I don't give a shit. Threaten me all you'd like. You need me. You need me to build your stupid gadgets. You need me to give you a place to stay. You act like you're so powerful because of your strength, but I've got more power over you than you could ever imagine," Bulma stated, really hitting him where it hurts. She had been waiting to tell him what she really thought about him for a while now, and right now was the perfect opportunity. Right now she was good and angry at him, and she didn't care what came out of her mouth.

"I would shut up if I were you, woman…" Vegeta said lowly, glaring at her. He only wanted to verbally spar with her to take his mind off of that very thought.

"Why should I? You live in MY house. You eat MY food. You breathe MY air! Ha, you call me pathetic, but you're the one who's pathetic! I belong to the richest family on this planet! I'm untouchable! So who really has power Vegeta, you or me? You have no status here, you have no power, so get over yourself! I run things around here, not you, so get that through that thick skull of yours!" Bulma said, putting her hands on her hips, "Now, if you'll excuse me _Vegeta-sama_, I'd like to go lay down in my room!"

Vegeta walked toward her, nothing but anger in his eyes. The one person who made him forget about his feelings of failure was the only person to say it out loud. It was as if her saying that aloud made it real; made it true. She validated his thoughts. He hated her.

Bulma realized Vegeta was approaching her. _Whatever_, she thought, _I'm not scared of that idiot._

"If you think I'm going to cower in fear because you look like you want to kill me, think again! Touch me, and I'll send Goku after you! He's stronger than you anyway, and he's in my corner. You can't do anything to me, I practically own you, so long as you're staying here!"

That was enough. Vegeta couldn't take it anymore. He stopped dead in his tracks, and punched a hole in the wall next to him.

"You own me?" He said, loathing her words, her presence, and everything about her, "You're no better than Frieza… you get some sort of sick satisfaction through my misfortune. I can't stand you, you vile woman! You do NOT own me! I do NOT need you! If I wanted to, I could kill you right now, and Kakarrot wouldn't be able to save you!" He turned around, and stormed off to his room. He was done talking to her.


	4. Release

Release

Bulma laid down on her bed and thought about what Vegeta had said…_You're no better than Frieza_. She realized then that maybe she had spoken too strongly. Why should she feel guilty about what she said? It was because of those reasons she stated previously that he had no right to be as arrogant as he was! He was physically stronger than her, but that was it! He had no right to treat her with the disrespect that he had been, she provided him with everything that he needed.

Regardless of the fact, she did feel a little guilty. He had nothing, and she had no hesitation at pointing that out to him. He lost his home, his family, his friends, his people, and his status as royalty…that must have been really hard on him. Sure, he was a rude creature, but he had his reasons. She figured she would be as spiteful as he was, had the same thing happened to her. She decided to go down to the kitchen for a glass of water; her throat was dry after all of the shouting she participated in today. It was late, and everyone was asleep, so she didn't have to worry about running into an angry Vegeta or her obnoxious mother. She could get out of her room and still be alone.

* * *

Vegeta was in the kitchen, sipping on some wine. He was not a drinker in the least, but he was so frustrated at what that woman had said to him. Now how was he supposed to get relief from this terrible emptiness that he felt? She was no longer a reliable source, and had deeply offended him. Now he had to be plagued with thoughts of how much he loathed her, yet couldn't do anything to get away from her. As if on cue, she was there, standing in the doorway. He didn't have to look to know that she was there.

Bulma's stomach dropped when she saw Vegeta sitting at the kitchen table. She walked past him to the counter to get a glass. She didn't want him to know how frightened she really was to see him there, so it was best that she went about her business, as if he wasn't even there. She could feel Vegeta staring at her. His eyes burned into her back. She was making her way out of the room, when she felt his presence trap her in between him and the counter.

Vegeta had gotten up right behind Bulma, placing his hand on the counter to make sure she couldn't escape. Her frail figure had stiffened, and he could smell her fear. He was going to set her straight if it was the last thing he did. She was not going to get away with the things that she said. Nobody could hold a grudge like Vegeta could.

Bulma instinctively turned around, and was shocked at the close proximity between her and Vegeta. She had never been so close to him before. If she had moved in the slightest she would have touched him. There was nothing more than a centimeter between their bodies.

"You're not going anywhere woman, so don't even think about it. You're going to pay for what you said to me," Vegeta said forcefully.

"Move out of my way Vegeta, I don't feel like arguing with you right now…"

"Then shut up and listen, and listen well."

"No! I don't want to listen to you! I'm sorry for what I said, but it's true! You had no right humiliating me the way that you did this afternoon, and I'm sick of you! I'm sick of your arrogance and the way you demand things from me, when it's because of me that you have a place to stay, and the facilities to train in!"

"Didn't you hear me? I told you to shut up!"

"I'm not afraid of you! So just get out of my way and let me leave!"

Vegeta closed the gap in between them, his chest pressing against hers. He could feel the change in her breathing pattern as he did so. He knew she was intimidated by him; he could feel it in her body. He could smell her beginning to sweat.

Bulma tried to back away from him, but there was nowhere to go. She felt the counter top dig into her back. She could feel his breath on her skin. Her heart started pounding, and her stomach dropped. He was too strong for her to try to make a break for it. She was completely cornered, both literally and figuratively.

"Listen carefully, woman. You do not own me. I could kill you in an instant, and don't you ever forget that. You speak to me like that again, and I won't hesitate to blast you into the next world."

"I said move out of the way you creep!"

"Are you fucking deaf, woman?"

"No, and I heard you just fine. You're going to kill me, blah blah blah, whatever. I'm tired of your empty threats. Just shut up and leave me alone!" Bulma pleaded. Why did he have to be there? She just wanted a glass of water. She didn't want to deal with this right now. She hated being so close to him and the way he pressed up against her, not allowing her to move. She hated how he threatened her. She hated how after everything she had done for him, he had not once thanked her or her family. She hated how even though she was right, he still found a way to make her feel guilty. Why did she ever offer to let him stay in her home? She should have left him to fend for himself and rot in the wilderness somewhere.

That stupid woman didn't know when to shut the hell up. Every word that she uttered made Vegeta even angrier. His fists clenched around her, and it was everything he could do to stop himself from smashing her pretty little face in. He was even more frustrated that he couldn't get himself to do it. If he did kill her, it would send a message to the rest of her family not to fuck with him, and if her father refused to build the facilities he needed, he would just kill him too. Yet, he couldn't get himself to do it, no matter how beneficial the action could turn out to be for him. He decided to hit her with words, as she had done to him earlier.

"You are an ugly, vile, disgusting, and pathetic woman. Nobody wants you. Not even that failure that calls himself Yamucha. You have all the money in the world, yet you have absolutely nothing. No one is ever going to want to be your mate with the way you bitch and moan all the time…"

Bulma placed her hands on his chest and pushed as hard as she could. She was disappointed when she realized he hadn't moved an inch. He was too strong. She glared at him angrily, her eyes burning deeply into his. He matched her glare with just as much intensity. Neither of them spoke, and the staring contest continued for about another minute. Bulma still tried to push him away from her.

Vegeta grabbed her arms with his hands, forcefully pushing her arms off of him, holding them at her sides, his hands brushing against her hips. He did not let go of her as they stood there. He felt her chest crash into his with every deep breath that she took. He became even more frustrated when he felt himself become aroused against her form. It was bad enough that the woman had pissed him off beyond belief, but now he was getting turned on by everything about her. The anger in her eyes, the way her hands had pushed against him, the way her bosom pressed against his chest when she breathed—the way her body writhed as she tried to loosen his grip on her, and the way her hips brushed against his hands when she moved. He started to contemplate killing her…

"You're a fucking pig…" Bulma said hatefully, feeling his stimulation.

Vegeta was even angrier that she had felt his erection against her. There was no hiding his attraction towards her anymore, she felt it.

"I really am going to kill you now…" He said, staring into her eyes even deeper.

She stared right back. First this barbarian corners her, won't let her move, grabs her, calls her ugly and disgusting, and now he was getting turned on sexually. What the hell was this guy's problem? _How the hell am I going to get out of this? Or do I even want to? _She found the answer to her question soon enough.

Vegeta let go of her arms, gripping her hips instead. He forcefully pressed his pelvis against hers, feeling the heat from her thighs against him. They continued to stare at each other, anger burning in their eyes.

Feeling him against her caused a burning sensation deep in her belly. Her arms free, she placed her hands on top of his and gripped them tightly, trying to force them off of her. The more she tried to fight her urges and reject him, the stronger his grip became against her, and the more firmly his body would press against hers.

The tension was too much for Bulma. She gave into her better judgment, and closed the small gap that was between them, aggressively pressing her lips against his, forcing her tongue in his mouth. Bulma frantically gripped his face with her hands, as they both breathed heavily, only breaking away from their frantic, passionate kisses to catch a breath. Vegeta quickly lifted her up and set her down on the counter top as he continued to violently kiss her. He lifted up her dress slightly, and quickly removed the undergarment covering her. She removed her hands from his face and frantically grabbed at his waist, pulling at the top of his sweatpants.

He forcefully removed her hands and pulled his pants down just enough to expose himself. He grabbed her bottom aggressively, forcing himself inside of her. Bulma cried out loudly as he began to take her violently.

All of Vegeta's frustrations—his anger towards her, his hatred of Kakarrot, and his feelings of powerlessness and inferiority—were all being taken out on her in this moment. He was extremely rough with her. There was nothing gentle about his manner of making her his in this moment. His actions were purely animalistic.

Bulma screamed in ecstasy as he forcefully thrust himself inside of her. He was so vicious in the way he took her, his pace seeming to increase with every thrust; she had never experienced anything like it in her entire life. Yamucha was always clumsy and gentle—she had never experienced sex in such a loveless manner. All of her anger and frustration was released with every scream. A tear streamed down her face as she tilted her head back and gripped the counter top as hard as she could, cutting off the blood circulation to her hands, making her knuckles turn a pale shade of white. Her entire body began to sweat, as the heat of his body engulfed hers. She felt herself release.

Feeling the warmth of her internal muscles wrapping around him sent Vegeta over the edge. With his release came the release of his frustration. His pace slowed down until he stopped completely, and his head collapsed over her shoulder.

Bulma's grip of the counter-top loosened. Her body was weak and she could barely keep herself up. Vegeta let go of her bottom, and placed his hands on the counter top next to her hips. Bulma wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck to keep herself from completely collapsing onto the kitchen counter.

Vegeta stayed inside of her until he finally caught his breath. His mind was devoid of thought, his anguish absent after his release of frustration. He grabbed her arms and removed them from his neck, placing them next to her hips. He stared into her eyes as she looked up at him, still feeling him inside of her. He unwrapped her legs from around his waist, finally pulling himself out of her depths, pulling his pants back up. He backed away from her and kneeled down, picking her under garment up from off of the kitchen floor. He dropped the garment on her lap before he retreated back up the stairs and into his room.

Bulma stared at his back as he walked away from her. She got down from the counter-top so she could put her panties back on. She pulled down her dress to cover herself, and weakly made her way back up to her bedroom. Instead of showering, she laid down on her bed, falling asleep instantly as her head hit the pillow.


	5. Aftermath

Aftermath

_What the hell happened last night?_ Bulma contemplated, as she finally woke up from her sleep. Yesterday had been quite eventful…too eventful.

She had been arguing and screaming all afternoon. Yamucha even showed up…what a disaster that turned out to be. If he was pissed off about her sleeping next to Vegeta, he was going to be really pissed off that she…

_Oh Kami-sama, I had sex with Vegeta!_

They had been fighting all night, but not like their usual bouts. No, this fight was serious. It wasn't him picking on her, and her finding sly remarks to shoot back at him. She was furious with him, and he was obviously more than furious with her. She had looked at him with hate in her eyes, and his expression was murderous. Then all of a sudden they were screwing like ravenous animals on the kitchen counter. It really made no sense to her. She had been attracted to him, and it's not like it was something that she never thought about doing, but she sure never expected that it would EVER happen. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel some relief over the matter. At least _that_ was out of the way. Her frustration toward her break up with Yamucha and her anger toward Vegeta had seemed to flea after their coupling had ended. All of that arguing must have had some pent up sexual frustration between them that neither realized had ever been there. Thinking about the previous night, she had secretly hoped that if Yamucha had come to visit again, Vegeta wouldn't let this bit of information slip out like he had about their previous encounter.

She wasn't angry with him anymore. She wasn't even angry that he just took off to go to bed afterwards instead of talking to her. She didn't expect him to do so, that was not his style. Yet, there was almost something satisfying about it. When she had been with Yamucha…well he wasn't the greatest lover of all time, but she had nothing else to compare it to. What she had done with Vegeta was completely loveless. It was just instinct—something animalistic that satisfied an urge. That's all it was, and it felt damn good. There was no attempt at foreplay, just an "I want you, and I want you now, and I'm going to take you, and you're going to like it" type of attitude. It was only something she had seen in the movies…the pair would be arguing, despising each other, then all of a sudden found themselves in an angry, passionate embrace.

She wondered what Vegeta must have been thinking about when he woke up. She looked at the clock and realized it was noon. He really did wear her out. _Gross, I need to take a shower!_ She thought. She didn't even want to think about how long his seed had remained inside of her…_oh crap…that stupid idiot didn't use any protection at all. What is he trying to do, get me pregnant? Now that would be a disaster…_

_

* * *

_

Vegeta's training had been more productive than usual that day. His mind was clear. He was rid of his thoughts of revenge, animosity, and frustration. Those thoughts and feelings had not entered his mind, and he was able to fully concentrate on the task at hand. He hoped the woman wasn't going to expect him to be her lover now. It had been a long time since he laid with a woman, and getting her to shut up—getting her to scream and pounding her brains out without actually killing her, while satisfying himself—he didn't mind taking out his frustrations on her in such a manner. Apparently, it had done him some good, since he was able to train more effectively; he was able to get out some pent up aggression in a way that didn't involve blowing things up. In any case, he had wondered what her reaction might be to him after the fact. If she thought that he was going to be her mate because they had engaged in such an act, she was mistaken. He didn't even like her, and she didn't seem to care for him much either, even if she did flirt with him on occasion.

He was so angry with her, that he didn't even care if he hurt her in the process. Whether she was screaming with pleasure or pain, it didn't matter to him. He had no concern for her well being. He was actually surprised that she hadn't passed out, or begged him to stop in agony. She took every thrust that he gave her, no matter how high the intensity. He had felt her orgasm, so she must have enjoyed herself.

_Hmph…she's a lot stronger than I thought._

_

* * *

_

After a long, hot shower, Bulma retreated back to the kitchen. She almost died when she saw both her mother and her father there, making themselves lunch.

"Oh, hi Bulma!" Mrs. Briefs exclaimed.

"You're just in time for lunch sweetheart. Sit down with us," her father invited.

"Oh, sure thing dad! I just have to clean off this countertop, it's really messy!" Bulma stated, grabbing a washcloth and quickly cleaning it up. Kami, she hoped that nobody had EATEN on that thing! Ugh, disgusting!

As if on cue, Vegeta walked in. He smelled food, and he was hungry. Training was successful today, and he decided that if he spent the remainder of the day taking it easy, it would be alright. He needed to have a day of rest anyhow; rest is a very important part of training. He had noticed the woman cleaning off the countertop frantically, and was once again reminded of their late night rendezvous. _Disgusting! She hadn't cleaned that up last night? Just as well, _he thought, _she was probably utterly exhausted after what I did to her._ He was surprised she could walk, to be honest. Although he did notice that her movements were rather sluggish. He was sure she must have been in some pain. He was amused by this fact.

Seeing her in pain ignited a sinister grin to form across his face when she turned around, and their eyes met. Bulma's face got hot, and she started to blush, even though she tried not to. _If he says anything in front of my parents, I swear to Kami, I will kill him!_

"Woman, your face is red. They say, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen," Vegeta teased, sitting down at the table across from her parents, shoveling food on his plate. There was nowhere else for her to sit except next to him. She didn't know how she would feel about seeing him after the incident, but she sure did now. She was completely mortified.

"So what did you two do last night? Were you watching a scary movie? I could hear someone screaming while I was trying to sleep last night!" Bulma's mother said, unintuitive. Bulma's face turned an even brighter shade of red, and Vegeta couldn't hold back his booming "Ha Ha" laughter.

"You could call it that. Frightening, indeed!" he remarked sarcastically.

"My goodness mother, you just always find the right thing to say…"

"That's nice dear," Mrs. Briefs said, her mind empty of thought, as usual. "Bulma and Vegeta are dating now honey, isn't that precious? I bet they were up all night watching movies!"

Dr. Briefs began to choke on his food. Letting out a few coughs, and a drop of sweat running down is forehead, he looked up from his plate to face the two figures on the opposite end of the table from him.

"You and Vegeta, huh? What happened to that nice Yamucha fellow?" He managed.

"Why is it mother, that you always find it necessary to bring up my relationships during meals?" Bulma said, flashing a look of anger toward her mother. She was almost worse than Vegeta when it came to embarrassing her. "Don't worry dad, I would never date that buffoon."

A sigh of relief escaped her father. He wasn't as oblivious about Vegeta's mannerisms as his wife seemed to be. He wasn't particularly afraid of Vegeta, but he just didn't know if he was alright with his daughter dating someone with such a temper.

"The feeling is mutual, woman," Vegeta retorted, taking enough time from inhaling the massive heap of food on his plate to comment.

Bulma let out a sigh of relief to herself._ At least things are back to normal…_

"You two are so cute! So young and in love! It's just like when I met your charming father!"

Bulma rolled her eyes and finished her lunch. There was just no getting through to her mother. She probably would have fainted if Bulma told her what "feelings" they really felt toward each other: anger and lust.

Vegeta got up from the table, grabbed his plate, as well as Bulma's, and placed them on the counter.

"Hey! I wasn't finished!" Bulma said, annoyance in her tone.

"Trust me woman, I know when you're finished," Vegeta taunted, matter-of-factly, "Besides, you could stand to lose a few pounds." Coupling with her had been a great thing indeed. He was able to shut her up and embarrass her at any time he wished. Not only that, but his frustrations had been relieved, and it was fun to toy with her. Always seeking the opportunity to advance, Vegeta couldn't help but laugh at the embarrassment on her face. He had ammo against her, and he planned on using it.

"Hmph! I see your training has been paying off, your speed is incredible! You always finish your tasks with great haste!" Bulma barked at him.

"She's right Vegeta, you really are a quick one!" Bulma bursted out with laughter at her mother's comment. For once her mother had said the _right_ thing.

A scowl formed across Vegeta's face. Was she mocking him for his performance? Sure it was quick, but he wasn't trying to please her. He just took what he wanted and left. Still, what was she insinuating exactly? He thought she had enjoyed herself. He walked up to his room, not giving it a second thought. He decided to lie down on his bed and take a nap. He had been up all night, training all day, and just finished a satisfying meal. Rest was in order.

_Oh, you aren't getting off that easily Vegeta…_Bulma thought, blushing at the realization that what she had thought was a double entendre. She made her way up to his room, and opened the door.

"We have a few things to talk about, do not think that you are just going to ignore me and lay here in bed!"

"Pity. That's exactly what I planned on doing."

"Vegeta, your comments are bad enough to deal with, but I swear, if you tell anyone about what happened last night, I'll—"

"Consider it done," Vegeta said with finality, never turning around to face her. Bulma wasn't expecting such an easy battle with him. She figured he would be over the moon, and wanting to tell everybody.

Or was that how she felt?

"What are you embarrassed or something?" She asked. She had hoped that he wasn't embarrassed or ashamed to have slept with her.

"No."

"Then why don't you want to tell anyone? You had no problem telling Yamucha and my mother that I slept next to you, with such amusement. How am I supposed to know that you aren't going to tell them about this?"

"Well, so long as that fool doesn't show up around here to piss me off, there's no incentive for me to tell anyone about that, now is there?"

"For your information, he does not come around here to piss you off, he comes here to see me. The world doesn't revolve around—"

"Close the door."

"What?"

"I said, close the door woman! You don't want everyone to know about what happened, yet here you are, screaming about it at the top of your lungs with the door wide open! If you really want to discuss the matter in private, then act like it!" he growled.

Bulma blushed and looked in the doorway. She hoped her mother wasn't lurking around somewhere. She could have just left and ended the conversation there, but her curiosity got the best of her. Being enclosed in a room with Vegeta because HE said so…it seemed as though he actually had something to discuss with her, and she wanted to hear what he had to say. She shut the door.

Vegeta turned around in his bed to face her. He wanted her to close the damn door for two reasons: 1. So that her mother couldn't come barging in without having to make her presence known first, and 2. So he could tell her not to get any ideas about becoming his mate. There might have been another reason, but he wasn't about to admit it.

He stared at her form for a few seconds, admiring the curves of her body. Although he had coupled with her the previous night, it was so quick and aggressive that he hadn't even stopped to admire her body. He had fucked her senseless, without even taking the pleasure to take her clothes off to see what she looked like without them. He interrupted his thoughts of lust to tell her what he really wanted to say.

"I know how you Earth women get. When you copulate with a male, you automatically get attached, and want a relationship. You expect to go out on dinner dates and such, hang on them, hold hands, and all of those other repulsive things that you do. Do not think that I will put up with such a thing."

"I already know you're incapable of such a thing, Vegeta. It's not like I'm in love with you or anything, far from it. I was just angry and lonely, and you were just there. Remember, you were the one that initiated it, not me."

"Hmph," Vegeta grunted, turning over on his side, his back facing her once again.

"Ha! I can't believe you were worried that I would want to be with you! Do you really think women are incapable of having sexual relations with a man without having feelings for them?"

"With the way you paraded that idiot around, no, I didn't think that was possible."

"Well, I loved him, that's different. You are a completely different story. I wouldn't even dream of prancing you around in public. I would be mortified if anyone knew I even let you touch me!"

"Bah, shut up!"

"Fine, have it your way, you jerk!" she decided, turning around to face the door. Vegeta was really starting to piss her off, and she was ready to leave. He sure had a lot of nerve to think that she was going to be all lovey-dovey with him after that. There wasn't a romantic bone in his body—she could never fall for someone like that! _Arrogant bast—_

"And where do you think you're going?" Vegeta said coolly, turning around, facing her once again.

Bulma stopped in her tracks. There was something about the way he asked that question that made chills run through her body. They weren't the kind of chills you get when you hear beautiful music, or hear something profound—they were the kind of chills you get when you were genuinely afraid of something.

"What?" she exclaimed, turning around suddenly, shaking off the moment of fear she had just experienced, and replacing it with anger; or courage, rather.

"Did I grant you permission to leave?"

"Are you kidding me! You think you can just order me around in my own house! UGH!"

"You will do as I say, slave! You will leave when I tell you to, and yes, that's an order! Do I have your attention now?" Vegeta asked, condescendingly.

"Oh, you have my attention alright!" Bulma snarled.

"Excellent. Now come to my bed," he ordered.

"Excuse me?" Bulma was completely bewildered. This guy sure had some nerve! Talking to her like she was a slave, to answer his every beckon call!

"No, you are not excused. Now get your ass over here, woman!" Vegeta was starting to get annoyed. He felt like having a repeat after their last encounter—especially since she insulted him at lunch—and this was the only way he could truly have any power over her, and he reveled in it. He was surprised when he saw her silkily advance toward him. The light seemed to hit every curve of her body in all the right places. She really was an attractive woman.

Bulma lips curled into a devilish grin as she slowly made her way to his bed. She climbed up on top of him, as he shifted onto his back to face her. He grabbed her waist firmly, yet gently, as he started to slide his hands up her figure, slowly lifting up her shirt, his hands stopping at sides of her bosom, his thumbs stroking the underwire of her bra, as she leaned down and softly flicked his earlobe with her tongue.

"_Oh Vegeta-sama,"_ she whispered softly into his ear. The sensation he felt as her soft breath tickled his ear almost drove him mad. She grinded her hips against him slowly, and he became aroused.

"Hmph" Vegeta smirked, "It's about time you started addressing me properly, woman."

"_Oh?"_ she seductively whispered, stopping to slowly lick his neck before she continued, "_But, Vegeta-sama…unfortunately …"_ she softly kissed his earlobe again.

"Unfortunately?" Vegeta questioned, amusingly. He was definitely pleased. For once she was calling him –_sama_ instead of –_kun_, and he really liked the sound of it.

"_Mmmm…unfortunately…"_ She moaned softly.

"Yes?"

"_I'm not in the mood."_

"What!"

Bulma grabbed his hands softly and set them down on the bed next to him. She proceeded to demount him, slowly making her way to the door.

"_Have a nice nap, Vegeta-sama,_" Bulma said softly, blowing a taunting kiss at him, before laughing hysterically as she exited the room.

_Take THAT, you idiot! Oh ho ho ho ho ho!_ Bulma laughed to herself in triumph. _The beautiful genius strikes again!_

Of course, she wouldn't have minded it all that much—there was something about Vegeta that really got her blood boiling, and not just with anger. But let's be honest—she was still sore from last night, her parents were awake, it was the middle of the day, and anyone could have heard them, had they decided to go through with the act. Hell, Yamucha might have even showed up again, in another attempt to beg for her forgiveness. It was simply impractical. Besides, she couldn't have him thinking that he could just bark orders at her like that.

_Hah! He's probably just lying there with a boner not knowing what to do with himself! Bwah ha ha ha!_

She didn't know which was more was satisfying— having sex with Vegeta, or the look on his face when she denied him of it.

* * *

Vegeta was genuinely pissed. Irate, was more like it. That woman had made a complete fool out of him—and nobody makes a fool out of Vegeta no ouiji! He could have killed her! What was he supposed to do, chase after her with an erection? He was more frustrated than ever. Once again, the woman had found a way to make a mockery of him…and she just left him like that! He would have grabbed her and not have let her leave, but he was too caught up in his arousal for him to process what she had said until she was halfway across the room, laughing at him.

_I should have blasted her when I had the chance! I'm going to kill that relentless bitch!_ Vegeta thought pretentiously, as he grinded his teeth. He got up from his comfortable bed, and stormed his way into the bathroom.


	6. Vegeta's Confusion

Vegeta's Confusion

Seven months had passed, and everything at the Capsule Corporation was operating, business as usual. Bulma and her father worked on new projects, her mother cooked and shopped, and Vegeta ate and trained. Bulma and Vegeta had little contact during these months. During the last real encounter they had, Bulma had completely humiliated Vegeta, which infuriated him. He had no desire to be around her anymore. He had let his mind stray away from his training by participating in such utter nonsense. Sure, he did believe himself to be a privileged and deserving individual—his desires, wants, and needs were to be selfishly fulfilled and under any circumstances—the desire of the flesh was no exception. If he wanted it, he got it. It killed him that he wasn't being treated with the prestige that he felt he was entitled to. Bulma refusing to fulfill his sexual demands was the final deal breaker. He simply could not find satisfaction in fornicating with a woman who wasn't completely submissive to him. The thing he hated the most was that she wasn't persuaded by fear, when she had every reason to fear him. He also couldn't explain his restraint; he let her walk away and he didn't do anything to stop her. Only a few short years ago, she would have been dead for doing so. It wasn't that he was turning "soft," no, he wasn't worried about that. He was still a cold hearted murderer, and that was one thing that hadn't changed with time. It was the fact that he did not feel the need, want, or desire to kill her. He felt there was no point to it, and no satisfaction in doing so, and he didn't understand why.

Sure, one could conclude, that there is no satisfaction in killing someone who is weaker than you for disobeying orders, but Vegeta didn't know if this was necessarily the case. If someone had disobeyed him when he still had his status (even though he was under Frieza's control, he still had prestige and rule among the majority of Frieza's thugs) he killed them for many reasons:

1) To send a message to others that disobeying him was suicide. By letting something slide, others may feel that they can escape the same fate. It was necessary to rule by fear.

2) To show his power. He wanted to send a message to Frieza, as well as his men. He wasn't fooling around, and he wasn't one to be trifled with. He was strong, and he took pleasure in showing his increased strength with every planet Frieza sent him to conquer.

3) It was his right. How dare anyone defy the great Prince Vegeta? Those lowlifes needed to respect and obey the great Saiyan race, and know their place as weaklings. Weaklings had no place to defy such a powerful man as himself.

4) Because it was enjoyable. Seeing the fear on the faces of weaklings—the one he was about to dispose of as well as all of the frightened spectators—seeing them fear him was a feeling he couldn't describe. Knowing he had that kind of power over so many people delighted him. Weaklings were trash, and be ridding of them was an enjoyable task indeed. The strong survive, and the weak shall parish, and that's just the way life works. Even if he felt no emotion in killing weaklings, seeing the explosions and the deaths afterward still proved satisfying.

Even if he found it unnecessary kill her to send a message to other Earthlings, or to demonstrate his power to anyone who felt they could challenge him, there were still two reasons that should not have stopped him from killing Bulma multiple times: she defied his orders, and defiance wasn't accepted—Vegeta was a prince of an elite warrior race. This is unforgivable. Lastly, he didn't feel any gratification would be felt in doing so. However, there are other reasons he considered, as to why this could be:

She would just be brought back to life with the dragon balls anyway, so what was the point?

The gravity simulator. He wouldn't have to worry about her fixing the simulator, or any other technologies he had at his disposal, as well as a place to stay and ample food to eat by killing her, but there were still various consequences for doing so. Her father could refuse to give in to his demands for killing his daughter. If this were the case, he would have to kill him as well, and then he would have nobody to fix his precious gravity machine when he damaged it.

It would disrupt his training. If he killed her, there would be uproar at Capsule Corp, and the entire Earth itself. Bulma was well-known across the planet; her murder would most certainly be the top story, causing hysteria. The military would try to attack him with useless weapons, and none of the fighting he would encounter would be beneficial. It would not make him stronger—it would only halt his training to become stronger.

It was risky. She had powerful allies, including the super Saiyan Kakarrot, who lived only a short flight away. Kakarrot was very serious about protecting his allies, and Vegeta knew he wasn't strong enough to defeat him yet. Kakarrot seemed to have a very close relationship with Bulma, referring to her as his "best friend." He referred to the one named Krillin in this manner, and when he was killed by Frieza, Kakarrot had turned into a super Saiyan.

_Wait, super Saiyan…? _Vegeta stopped his evaluation. It just occurred to him how Kakarrot became a super Saiyan in the first place. This was something to think about…

Krillin dies

Kakarrot becomes so infuriated that he completely snaps

Turns into a super Saiyan

_But what snapped? How did he do it? What was he feeling?_ Although Vegeta found emotions not to be of importance, it seemed as though there was some sort of emotional connection to becoming a super Saiyan, if this is how Kakarrot became one. Was he angry that his friend died? He felt rage in the pain of loss? Well Vegeta was angry, and felt rage in the pain of loss, so this couldn't be right. He lost something he loved, causing him to feel rage and pain? Well that couldn't be right either, because Vegeta had lost the planet and the home that he loved, as well as all of his family and his friends. Was it the pain of loss caused by the murder of a specific person that he loved? Well, Vegeta had people who he enjoyed being around and causing destruction with them, but he couldn't say that he loved them. But having to feel love and the pain of loss to become a super Saiyan was quite an absurd concept. They were a ruthless warrior race by nature, and if this was the key to Kakarrot becoming a super Saiyan, it wasn't a route that Vegeta could take. He simply wasn't capable, nor understood the concept, of what this emotion called love was, in the sense of loving a specific person; he indeed, loved destruction, power, and wealth. He didn't understand this other kind of "love," and he didn't want to. He viewed it as weak and pathetic. Whatever the reason, somehow, someway, something inside of Kakarrot just snapped. However he attained the transformation, one thing remained the same: he transformed because he was angry beyond belief. Vegeta couldn't understand why he hadn't transformed yet—had he not been beyond angry millions of times? Had he not snapped and went crazy with anger before? To think there was a rage even deeper than what Vegeta could harbor, and that Kakarrot realized, was mind boggling to him. How could he conjure up any more rage than he had already?

His thoughts sidetracking brought up another problem. Why wasn't he constantly thinking about this? Why wasn't he constantly trying to figure out the formula that lead to Kakarrot's transformation? Although training was the most important thing, thinking and conceptualizing were important also. He was sitting there, wondering why he hadn't killed Bulma; pondering as to the reasons why he felt no need to kill her, and if it was because of logical reason or something he couldn't explain. He was thinking about this, when he should have been thinking about how he was going to become a super Saiyan. He had less than two years to achieve this goal.

This is why Bulma became a deal breaker. She was disrupting his thoughts, forcing him to concentrate on things that were of no benefit to him. The thoughts she forced him to consider stopped him from maintaining his progress on the real goal at hand—the reason he was staying with her in the first place. He should kill her for that reason alone! She was stopping him from completing his goal! _All of this thinking in circles!_ he thought, _What the hell am I doing!_

It was because of these thoughts, and these rationalizations, that he increased his training to the maximum, and avoided Bulma at all costs. Yes, during the past seven months, they had seen each other. They had even spoken, but not about anything arbitrary. He asked her where her father was, she told him when dinner was ready, he asked where his laundry was, and if she hunted him down to ask him something, he answered if necessary, or just pretended not to hear her. It was exactly the way things were when he was staying there with all of the Namekians, awaiting Kakarrot's revival, which would never come.

His life had come full circle just as his thoughts had been. He had no other option but to stay with her and the Nameks back then. Then he could be there when Kakarrot was brought back to life with the dragon balls. Then it turned out he was still alive. He hijacked one of the Briefs's spaceships, and went on a mission to find Kakarrot in space. He never found him, and after running out of fuel, he crash landed back onto the Brief's estate. Again, he had no choice but to stay there, as her and her friends would be the very first people to know when Kakarrot had returned. Then he returned, but not after some unknown teenager appeared who somehow turned into a super Saiyan, which he still could not explain, and told them of androids that would be coming in 3 years to purge the planet. And then yet again, he had no choice but to stay with her, as he had nowhere else to go. He wasn't about to train with Kakarrot, and the Capsule Corporation had the ability to provide the gravity simulation that he needed to train, as they had already created a spaceship for Kakarrot that did just so. Vegeta found this to be advantageous, as he was now aware that Kakarrot had been training using gravity simulation prior to his super Saiyan transformation, and now there were two of them to compete with. Why did he always have to end up here? And with her? The rest of Kakarrot's weakling friends didn't bother him, except for her. She would talk to him, yell at him, and even laugh at him. The others never did this, at least, not to his face, and had Vegeta overheard, they would always cower in fear, exactly how he wanted them to—that is, except for her.

Again, HER! Even if it was the most miniscule thought, no thought was miniscule when it stopped him from thinking about becoming a super Saiyan and defeating Kakarrot. The only name that should EVER enter his mind was Kakarrot's; that was his only concern. And yet somehow, no matter what he did, whenever he thought about why he wasn't as strong as Kakarrot and contemplated how he could close that gap, she was somehow involved. No matter how he looked at his predicament, she was directly involved. He hated her for it, yet he wouldn't kill her. _BAH! All of this thinking is driving me mad! _he thought in agony. There was only one thing that could relieve him of this, and that was to train. This was how he spent most of his time.


	7. Bulma's Confusion

Bulma's Confusion

Vegeta wasn't the only one suffering from conflicting thoughts. Bulma was undergoing a self-evaluation of her own. How could she dwell on problems of the heart, when she should be doing her part to make sure that she was helping in every way she possibly could to increase the Z-warriors chances of defeating the androids? At the same time, what else could she do? Say the androids do come and they do kill everyone….then what? She would have wasted her last three years of peace formulating a plan to defeat them instead of spending her last moments with the people that she loved. What if she was never able to have children and start a family? What if this was it? Was she destined to die alone without the one thing that she wanted most—the one thing that got her to where she is now—to find her prince charming? She had everything she could ever dream of…except for that.

It was because of her desire to find such a love that she went searching for the dragon balls. It was because of that desire she met Goku, and her entire life changed. That desire led her to her destiny. She met her prince without ever having to wish for it—Yamucha. But why did things have to turn out the way that they did? After all of that, how is it, that she would be destined to live without love?

Sure, they were an on again, off again couple, but that just happens sometimes. You need a few arguments here and there to light the fires of passion—that's what makeup sex is for. Maybe their relationship wasn't as stable as say, Goku and Chi-Chi's, but it was their first relationship, and bumps in the road were to be expected. She never knew how much she loved Yamucha until he died. When the opportunity arose to get him back, she swore she would never leave him again—they would never fight or argue—they would just be happy together.

How much did she love him and want him back? Well, she risked her life by going to another planet to gather its dragon balls to wish him back. She risked her life numerous times hunting for those dragon balls, and the fiercest opponent the universe had ever faced was right there on the planet with her. Had she not been wished to Earth, last minute along with the Namekians, she would be dead. She literally would have died for this man.

So why the hell weren't they together? It didn't make any sense. She got him back, finally. There was peace, finally. They had their whole lives to spend with each other, but somehow, doubt crept into her mind. Without the arguments, without the dysfunctional on again, off again relationship, there was no passion. There wasn't the passionate heat felt after a grueling argument, he never acted possessive over her, or showed any jealousy when she was hit on by another man. Then his eyes started wandering, and she became the jealous and possessive one. Any woman he looked at was the enemy. But instead of making it up to her, like he had done in the past, he just brushed it off; said not to worry about it. Maybe she was overreacting—maybe she shouldn't have worried about it, but it was his job to make sure that she wouldn't. He was supposed to be there to comfort any insecurity she had felt in their relationship, and he wasn't doing so.

And so what if she was overreacting? She literally went across the universe for this man. It was because of her that the dragon balls were able to be collected and that he could be wished back to this life in this world. How dare he look at ANY other woman instead of her! She went beyond the ends of the earth for him; did he not owe it to her to treat her like a princess? Did he not owe his life to her?

This is exactly what she was thinking when she caught him ogling at those women in public when he thought she wasn't around. He welcomed the attention, and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Not once did he say, "I'm sorry, I have a girlfriend," or even mention her in any way. They weren't 'fans' they were 'groupies,' and it was obvious their intention was not to get an autograph from the famous baseball star. Most hurtful, was that he enjoyed it. How many times had this happened that she didn't know about, she wondered. It was all too much. She had had enough.

During this time of sadness, she found comfort in another man. Her friends weren't around, and Vegeta was the closest thing to Yamucha she could find: a strong, built warrior, with strength far beyond normal human capacity. Being around just any normal man after everything she had gone through—knowing secrets of the universe that only she and a select few knew; seeing the power and destruction of individuals beyond human imagination…no, just any Joe Blow would not suffice. But then there was Vegeta. He was even stronger, even more hard-headed, and even more attractive. Yes, he annoyed her, but physical attraction can overlook such things. The day she broke up with Yamucha, she slept in his bed. Not long after, she had slept with him out of passion, after a heated argument. He made her forget about her troubles, and even if that was by causing new ones, it made her forget about Yamucha, nonetheless, and that was a very hard topic for her to think about.

However, after their previous encounter seven months ago, Vegeta had completely ignored her. Things were back to normal, as they had been when he stayed there after they and the Namekians had returned to Earth. They only interacted when necessary, which was fine. She didn't particularly like the man, but without his attention, all that was left was for her to contemplate her life, and in doing so, she could only think of her failed relationship with Yamucha. Many times she wondered if it was a mistake to break up with him—she loved him. But when she thought back to all that she had done for him, and how little he gave in return, well, it was something she just couldn't get past, no matter how much she loved him.

She wondered how long it would be until she cracked. How long would she wait before completely breaking down, calling Yamucha, and begging him to take her back? She missed him more than words could describe, yet somehow felt that things would never be the same. But there was still a chance that things could go back to the way they were. After all, some crazy things happened between her and Vegeta, but things eventually went back to the way they were. Every day that passed, she thought about him more and more, and even wished that Vegeta would eventually show up, call her 'woman' or something insulting, and take her mind off of him. But all he did was train…which was fine. That's exactly what he should be doing—the fate of her life, as well as everyone else's, could very well be in the hands of this powerful man. Any upkeep to make sure he was provided for and given ample resources to increase his strength was necessary, and should be something that she was completely focused on, but she just couldn't.

It is impossible to stop one from thinking.


	8. Prelude to a Reunion

Prelude to a Reunion

Today was the day. Two more months of little contact with anyone besides her parents, leaving her alone to wallow in her thoughts, she had cracked. She had not heard from Yamucha once in over 9 months. She desperately wondered what he must be up to. Was he seeing anyone, and most importantly, did he still love her? Could they get back together? Today was the day.

She picked up the phone and called his condo in the city. No answer. _He must be training with Krillin_, she concluded. Should she call Muten Roshi? Or should she make a surprise visit? Even if Yamucha wasn't there, everyone would be happy to see her, and at least she would be engaging in some social contact. But if he was there, what would she do? Then it hit her…a genius idea!

A party. If she threw a dinner party, she could invite all of her friends, including Yamucha, without him feeling any expectations from her. If anything, by inviting him, she would be extending an olive branch, at least giving them the chance to repair their relationship, even if that meant being just friends. If he showed up, then she knew there would be a chance for them, and if he didn't, then she knew there wouldn't be. By having a party, she could figure out his motives without being direct and risk being directly rejected.

It wouldn't be odd for her to have a dinner party either—it was a usual thing for everyone to get together at least once a year. Krillin and Muten Roshi would never pass up a free meal, and Chi-Chi would be thrilled, and would bring Goku and Gohan for sure. Bulma was positive that she must be broke from feeding two Saiyans in training, as she only had one grown Saiyan to look after, and he could eat the richest people on the planet out of house and home. She also must be tired of cooking, and was probably alone a lot herself for most of the time. A reunion at Capsule Corp. would give her the chance to socialize with others, as well as spend some real quality time with her husband and her son. Bulma didn't have to worry about Goku rejecting her invitation to train more—Chi-Chi would force him to go. At least there would be five guaranteed guests (Piccolo was welcome to come, but Bulma doubted Chi-Chi would force him to go, and Piccolo didn't need food, only water, and she had no clue as to Tienshinhan's, Chiaotzu's, and Launch's whereabouts, but they were also more than welcome to come).

_Hmmm…..wait a second_, she thought, _Goku and Vegeta in the same place? Hmm…_

She didn't think about this initially. In her grand plan to find out how Yamucha felt about her, she forgot one important element—how would Vegeta react to Goku being there? He almost flipped a lid when Yamucha showed up, and she was sure he wouldn't enjoy the company of Krillin, Gohan, and the others either (nor would they enjoy his), but his rivalry with Goku wasn't something to mess with. She would definitely have to talk to Vegeta about this, which wasn't something she wanted to do. They hadn't talked in so long, and the only thing she had to say to him was that Goku was coming over? _Man, this is a disaster…_

But she just HAD to know how Yamucha felt, and Vegeta would have to suck it up. Instead of talking to him about it first, she went ahead, made the phone calls, and set up a dinner party two months from the date, to give everyone ample time to prepare for the occasion. That way, nobody would be forced to abruptly stop their training, or have any other immediate plans that wouldn't allow for them to make it. Everyone was confirmed to come, and Chi-Chi said Gohan even persuaded Piccolo to come! She didn't know, however, Piccolo's real reasons for wanting to be there.

* * *

Although Piccolo had a deep respect for Goku through the strength he had displayed, he was, well, a complete idiot at times. If Goku were to let anything slip about Vegeta and Bulma getting together and conceiving a child, well, that would put a major hole in their plans to succeed against the androids. Piccolo had to be there (as they were the only two who knew of this information) to make sure Goku was kept in line. He was sure that Goku would be bursting at the seams to ask suggestive questions, as he was fascinated as to how Vegeta and Bulma, of all people, could end up together. Yes, it had baffled Piccolo as well, but the details of how weren't his concern. They needed to get together and not be bothered, so Trunks, the super Saiyan from the future, could return to their aid in less than two years time (about a year and 10 months). He thought it was a bad idea to go in the first place, out of fear of interrupting their get-together, but if Chi-Chi was forcing Goku to go, it was necessary for him to be there to make sure everything was running smoothly.

* * *

_She invited me?_ thought Yamucha. He was grateful, for he always looked forward to these get-togethers. There would be a fantastic feast, and he would be able to catch up with Goku and the others. She had also asked him to relay the invitation to Tien, Chiaotzu, and Launch. She not only invited him, but she left him with the responsibility of inviting others.

_This must mean she isn't mad at me anymore!_ he concluded, with great relief. Although it may be awkward at first, she had made the first move. She had invited _him_ after basically telling him never to bother her again, and she hadn't talked to him once in almost a year. There was nothing that was going to stop him from going, absolutely nothing!

He wondered how she had been doing, what she had been up to, and most important, had she been seeing anyone? If not, maybe, just maybe, he could persuade her to get back together with him. All in one night might be too much to ask, but at least he could break the ice and soften her up; get her to agree to go out on a few dates with him; then, they could have a chance. He would be kind, smooth, and attentive, without giving too much away. It would be like they were starting all over again, but instead of him being a coward, terrified of women, he would be cool, calm, and collected, flirting with her and making himself look desirable in her eyes—the way they should have met in the first place.

This was the perfect opportunity for him to get his true love back. Yamucha had missed her deeply. He trained and trained in order to take his mind off of her and concentrate on what was really important, but wasn't she important? In fighting for his life and for the planet, was he not fighting for her as well? He was so stupid for treating her the way that he had when he returned from the dead and came back to Earth.

However, death makes you question life. You only live once, yet he got a second chance. He wanted to start over—he wanted to live a fulfilling and happy life. He wanted to experience things in this life that he was never able to experience, which, when you think about it, makes perfect sense, and it's understandable. However, in his quest to experience new things, he had forgotten about the things in his life that wouldn't change—his relationships with his friends and his intimacy with Bulma. He tried the dating thing, but no one compared to her. She was his destiny, and he lost her through his desire to experience the unknown. This was his chance to start anew and to make things right.

He had no idea, however, of the future to come. He knew that if he didn't do something now, he might risk losing her forever, but he had no idea as to how great that risk actually was. He had no idea that there was competition in his midst…


	9. Closer

Closer

The fun part was over for Bulma. It was time for her to confront Vegeta. Even though it was none of his business as to whom she invited in her own home, she didn't want any problems. This was supposed to be a day of relaxation, not one of confrontation. The very least she could do was to tell him about the party, so he could leave to train somewhere else if he chose to do so. If he chose to stay, however, she had to make it clear to him somehow that fighting with Goku was not allowed. She didn't want any grief about it, and this wasn't his house, but she still felt the obligation to tell him.

First of all, how the heck was she going to find him? No doubt he was in the gravity simulator, but what was she going to do? Just sit outside of it for an undisclosed amount of hours until he came out? He had to eat, but it's not like she wanted to sit in the kitchen all day and night either. She didn't have time to wait for one of their chance encounters; she had to inform him of the matter.

Well, he does have to sleep…that's it! A letter would do. She could simply put a letter in his room with the details of the party—who was coming and when—and her concerns about a confrontation between himself and Goku. This way, she could be certain he would get the information, and she wouldn't have to face him. Perfect. She wrote the note and stuck it on his door.

"Let's hope this all goes well…" she sighed out loud to herself.

* * *

"What the fuck is this!" Vegeta grunted, ripping up the note to shreds. "Has the bitch gone mad?" he thought out loud. Just when it seemed as though his training was back on track, the woman went and pulled a stunt like this! Inviting everyone over, and most unnerving, that imbecile Kakarrot! To be under the same roof as him, knowing that he isn't stronger…would he look like a coward if he just left and avoided the situation? Would he look soft if he attended, without confronting him? Would he look scared if he stayed at Capsule Corp. during this reunion, and did not attend the festivities? How could he even avoid them, if he stayed there? This was all quite maddening. It was 2:00 a.m., but that couldn't stop Vegeta from bursting into Bulma's room to confront her of this ridiculous predicament she was putting him in, and to demand her to put a stop to this engagement. Celebration could wait until after the fighting was over, and it hadn't even begun yet! What was she thinking?

The door burst open, slamming into the wall, leaving an imprint of the door handle in it. An exhausted Bulma just groaned, and turned over on her side.

"WAKE UP!" Vegeta screamed.

"Is it time for breakfast already? I'm not hungry, I'm still tired, let me sleep for now mom…"

"I said…" Vegeta started, walking towards the woman in her bed, putting his lips to her ear, "WAKE UP!"

Bulma jumped straight up, clenched her eyes tightly, made a fist, and punched Vegeta directly between the eyes. She opened her eyes and screamed out of fright as he startled her, and clenched her fist with her other hand…what was his head made out of anyway, steel?

Vegeta clenched his eyes shut, a scowl across his face, his fists gripped at his sides. He was pissed that she hit him, but he did startle her, so it couldn't be helped. Ugh, was he going to let her get away with this too! He opened his eyes and started yelling at her.

"You bitch! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"ME? What the hell do you think YOU'RE doing? You can't just wake people up like that and expect them not to jump out of their sheets!" She blushed slightly, looking down at herself, realizing she was wearing next to nothing—only a tight, low cut tank and underwear covered her body, and she did, in fact, jump straight out of her sheets. She was not expecting this kind of exposure. Vegeta seemed to notice too, as she caught him blatantly staring at her chest.

"What the hell are you looking at!" she yelled. Vegeta's expression changed slightly, showing a hint of embarrassment.

"Bah, shut up! What do you mean Kakarrot and the others will be here in two months? Are you _trying_ to stop me from becoming a super Saiyan?"

"No! If it's such a bother for you to be under the same roof as him, just stay in the gravity simulator and keep training all day like you always do. Nobody is going to bother you. Nobody expects to see you anyway, why are you worried about it? It's not a big deal!" She pleaded. Vegeta grunted in retort. He really had no response to that.

"Is that other moron going to be here too?" He asked, inquisitively.

"You mean Yamucha? Yeah, he's coming too. Why do you ask?"

"Because that's the other one that I can't stand! All he does is sit and whine about everything like a fucking baby. Kind of like how you do, you two are fucking perfect for each other."

"We aren't together Vegeta. That's a sensitive subject, and I would appreciate it if you didn't bring it up."

"Well, Kakarrot is a sensitive subject for me, and you seem to have no problem in bringing him here!" Bulma let out a long sigh.

"Point taken, Vegeta. But I'm not going to tell them the party is off because you can't handle it. I've been stuck in this place for a while now, and I miss my friends, and I want to see them."

"Then take this affair somewhere else! There, now was that sooo hard to conceive of?"

"There is nowhere else on the planet equipped to feed three hungry Saiyans at one time. I'm sorry. I understand how you may feel, but I'm not going to change my life to accommodate yours. You haven't shown me the same respect."

"Oh really? I haven't changed my life to accommodate yours at all? If that's the case, then I'll show up to your stupid party. I'll blast away everyone that walks into the fucking door! How does that sound?"

"Sounds fantastic…" Bulma said, rolling over, "good-night Vegeta."

"I'm not leaving until you put an end to this circus!" he shouted.

"Then make yourself comfortable," Bulma said sarcastically (and tiredly), patting the empty space in the bed next to her. Vegeta laid down next to her.

"H-h-heeey….what do you think you're doing!" she said nervously, sitting straight up, looking down at him casually lying in bed next to her.

"I told you I'm not leaving until you change your plans, woman. If you want me to leave, then you will do so."

"Well, I'm not going to!" she shouted. She was really starting to get agitated. She just wanted to fucking sleep!

"Then sweet dreams, onna." Vegeta closed his eyes, his arms crossed above his head. He heard her mumbling something, when another thought entered his mind.

"Why the hell is your bed so much more comfortable than mine?"

"What?" Bulma was completely taken aback by this response. How could he just completely change the subject like that? Was there anything that the mighty prince wouldn't pick at?

"Because, I only sleep on the most comfortable of mattresses," she answered reluctantly, succumbing to her fatigue and laying back down in her bed, making sure she was turned to face the window so Vegeta couldn't see her face, and so she couldn't see his.

"Well my mattress is shitty compared to this one. This bed is deserving of royalty, such as myself. I'm sleeping here from now on."

"WHAT!" Bulma exclaimed, once again, sitting straight up. This night was becoming too eventful for her. Vegeta knew he was bringing her to the breaking point, knowing eventually she would succumb to her fatigue and just call off the stupid engagement so she could get some rest. All Bulma wanted to do was sleep, but she wasn't going to call off the party, and he needed to know that. He had to do something to occupy his time during the reunion, and he didn't have to stop training. It wasn't that big of a deal and she wanted him to get the hell out of her room. Now he was demanding her own bed from her. He just didn't know when to stop!

"What do you mean you're sleeping here from now on? Get out of my room!"

"How dare you make me sleep on something that is incomparable to what you lay on every night? Do you not know who I am?"

"Of course I do, I'm reminded every day. You're Lord fucking Vegeta, I get it. Now get the hell out. I have sleep to get and a party to plan," she said calmly, returning to the position she was in earlier, laying down, facing away from Vegeta. She was so tired that his antics didn't matter anymore. He would have to do something more drastic than yell to make her call off this party. Besides, this party was to reunite with Yamucha, mostly, and she wasn't going to let anyone interfere with that. She already invited him, and he accepted. There was no turning back now. She would just have to sleep with him lying next to her, bitching at her.

"You're a real bitch, you know that?"

"Everyone is cranky when they're woken up by someone screaming into their ear while they're enjoying a deep sleep."

"Well, I'm going to keep bothering you until you do what I want. I'll leave when you agree to call this off, and in return, I won't steal your bed from you while you're working."

"Fine, suit yourself. This bed is big enough for both of us. Since it's sooo comfortable, you should be able to get a good night's sleep. Goodnight." Bulma finished, closing her eyes. If Vegeta had said anything more, she wouldn't have heard, because she fell right asleep. At the same time, his threat wasn't all that bad to her. Who wouldn't enjoy the company of a handsome man to sleep next to at night? If he killed her in her sleep, she would be too tired to notice anyway. She really didn't care at that time.

Vegeta continued to make threats and attempted to bicker with her, but when he got no response, he peered up and looked over shoulders. He saw her sleeping face; she was completely knocked out. _Useless!_ he thought. Nothing was going his way right now. Absolutely nothing! Whatever. He was exhausted, and her bed was certainly more comfortable than his (which genuinely annoyed him), and if this was all he had to do to piss her off, then so be it. He would sleep in her bed every night until that day came. If she didn't agree to call off the engagement, he would threaten to tell Yamucha about how she allowed him to sleep in her bed every night on the day of the party. This way, she would be forced to call it off. Manipulating her was annoying, but necessary.

And so he slept.


	10. Uncharted Territory

Uncharted Territory

Much to Vegeta's surprise, when he awoke, Bulma was not there. He looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed and grumbled—it was already half past noon. Her bed really was much more comfortable than his…

He was irritated, but not due to the woman's absence. He was truly annoyed that her bed was more comfortable than his, when he regarded himself to have a higher status and standard of living than she should ever be able to imagine, and more importantly, that he had slept through half of the day and missed out on an entire morning of training. He had never slept this long on Earth before. He usually only needed 3 to 4, 5 hours tops of sleep per day, if even at all. The longest he had ever slept was when he was travelling in his space pod back when he was still purging planets under the command of Frieza, in which he slept for days, weeks, and even months at a time, depending on how many light years he needed to travel. In any case, he gathered himself and got up out of bed, heading towards an ajar door in her room, which he presumed to be the restroom facilities.

Again, irritation! Her facilities were much larger than his, and far superior. There was a Jacuzzi, and a large and elegant shower fit for a king. She always complained about how he asked for so much from her family (which he did), but he had no idea how much she was really holding out on him. Compared to his room, hers was magnificent. He had never actually been inside of it until he stormed in before he reluctantly fell into a deep slumber—and then, he didn't really take the time look around. He was infuriated that she had been living it up in the lap of luxury while his quarters were plain, and only had the essentials: a medium sized bed, a desk, a toilet, and a shower. On the other hand, had he lived in such a luxurious dwelling, he may have missed out on a lot of training. This was apparent, as he had missed out on an entire morning of training due to increased relaxation and the 9 hours or so of sleep he had indulged in. No matter the pros or the cons, she was living far well off than he was, and this was not acceptable.

He decided to take the day to rest. He had already missed out on ample training time, and it had been many months since he had a day of relaxation. In fact, this might make him stronger, as his muscles would have ample time to heal and strengthen. As much as he hated to admit to himself, he was overdoing it a bit, and rest was an important part of physical training. Although rest would seem to be the easiest part of one's regimen, it was extremely difficult for Vegeta. He never wanted to stop training—the thought of taking a break from it made him feel as though he would be losing time to gain his strength. However hard it may be, he wasn't stupid, and well, since he had already slept the day away, there would be no harm in taking the day off, and the first thing he was going to do was get in that hot tub and soak his aching body in the hottest water that he could stand.

* * *

Much to Bulma's surprise, when she awoke, Vegeta was still there. She looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed and grumbled—it was only half past six, and Vegeta was still asleep. Her bed really must have been more comfortable than his…

She was irritated, but not due to the man's presence. She was truly annoyed that she had hardly gotten any sleep at all. She stared down in envy at the man laying next to her, enjoying a peaceful slumber. She remembered it was because of him that she hadn't gotten any sleep—he just barged into her room without hesitation. He really had no restraint when it came to doing as he pleased in her house, treating everyone like servants. He had no official status here, but the Briefs' family did, yet everyone appeased to his every need, want, and request (demand, rather). She was tired of him acting like a spoiled brat every time he had any kind of interaction with her, as if she owed him something. Then again, she understood, as she was quite spoiled herself.

But why had he slept there?

Was it to prove a point? He did say he wasn't going to leave until she changed her mind…did that mean he really planned on not leaving her room until she did? Was he going to eat, sleep, and bathe in there too? She hoped not. Or, perhaps, he was just tired and fell asleep. More than likely, it was a combination of the two. He certainly was thinking of new and interesting ways to threaten her. She wondered what his true motive was. It had been almost a year since either of them had any sexual contact; he was probably just trying to make excuses to try and sleep with her again. The testosterone driven brute was probably horny. _What a pig_, she thought to herself_._

In any case, there was no sense in waking the man, unless it was a fight she was after, and after a horrible night's sleep—well, she was simply too tired to engage in such an affair. She decided to get some coffee and be productive with her time, making the proper arrangements for the lavish dinner party she was to throw in two months time. Her father had also requested her assistance in the lab, so she had an ample amount of work waiting for her. If she started now, she could finish around lunch time, giving her the rest of the day off to do as she pleased.

* * *

After six grueling hours in the lab, she and her father were finally able to solve an equation that had kept them puzzled for the past 3 and a half weeks. She wasn't able to get anything done in terms of party planning, but she had ample time to do so. She knew she would continue to have busy days like this, and giving herself two months to complete the task was a part of her intelligent nature. The Z-fighters weren't the only ones who needed time to finish up certain tasks before the occasion.

Without a further thought, she headed into her room. She was exhausted, and it was the perfect time of day to catch up on last night's sleep lost by taking a much needed nap. Her timing couldn't have been any worse…

She opened her door, only to find a naked Vegeta standing in her room, toweling his hair dry. Why he had not decided to cover his nether-regions was a mystery to her, but like seeing any naked person, she couldn't stop herself from staring.

"Vegeta, what are you doing!" she exclaimed, covering her eyes with her hands to stop herself from staring, and to hide her intense blushing.

"Now now, don't be shy. It's nothing you haven't seen before," he taunted. Bulma turned around to face away from him. She couldn't yell at him properly like this, she was too embarrassed. She opened her mouth to start one of her tirades, but no sound came out—as when she opened her eyes, she found Vegeta standing directly in front of her. She jumped back, falling on her ass, his genitalia in much closer view than for her comfort.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Vegeta laughed hysterically, "Oh, you should see your face, it's priceless!"He couldn't remember the last time he laughed at something so comical. Usually when he laughed, it was sinister. Was he actually joking around with her…for fun?

"ARE YOU NUTS!" she screamed, quickly turning around, burying her head into the floor, her bottom raised in the air like a cat. She covered her mouth tightly, her face turning a bright red as his booming laugher ripped into her, making fun of her for what she had just said.

"Gee, what could YOU be thinking about? It's my nuts you want, is it? Let's take a rain-check." He said, mocking her, his speech broken through his laughter.

"Damnit Vegeta, are you always such a dick?"

"Woooah, slow down there tiger, you're coming on a little strong!"

"Will you just cover yourself up already!"

"Fine, fine. I was getting a little uncomfortable with you staring at me anyway, you vulgar woman." He then proceeded to cover himself up with the small towel he had draping on his shoulders. "You can look now."

Bulma finally turned around, her cheeks glowing a bright shade of pink. Things were always too eventful for her when Vegeta was around.

"Shit, woman, you look like hell. You look like you could use a soak yourself."

"That's because I was so _rudely_ awakened at _2a.m._ this morning!" she replied with disdain.

"Can't say I didn't warn you. I assume you called all your weakling friends and told them the festivities were cancelled?"

"_Noooo._"

"Then get used to it."

"Grrr….just what the hell are you hoping to accomplish, you jerk!"

"Hmm…I wonder what your precious Yamucha will think, when he discovers that I've been staying with you in your room all this time, and how you love to stare at my naked body."

"Why you…what makes you think that would make me call off the party anyway you moron, we aren't even together!"

"Nice try, but I'm no fool. It's obvious that the only reason you're having this 'party' is to have an excuse to be around that idiot. Clearly you're still pining for that pathetic excuse for a man's _'love'_ and _'affection.' _Ha ha ha ha—hmm?"

Vegeta's laughter was cut off by Bulma's whimpers. She felt so defeated. He had figured her out, and thought of the only sure-fire way to keep her from inviting her friends over. Yamucha would never want to patch things up with her if Vegeta had told her he had been sleeping in her room every night until the day of the party. No matter what explanation she could give him, it would only make her look bad, or worse—like a liar, and he would surely never speak to her again. How would she come up with the courage to see him now? Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice cracked as she spoke.

"So? Maybe I do. Okay fine, I still love him. I only wanted to invite everyone over so it wouldn't be awkward for us to see each other and try to patch things up. This would have been the perfect way to ease tensions between us, but once again, you have found a way to ruin my life!"

Vegeta only stared at her, he had no reply. He couldn't explain how he felt about her reaction. When she was yelling and screaming, it was easy to respond to her, but it wasn't as if he had never seen a person cry before, due to his actions. However, there was something unpleasant about this. He couldn't place it, but "guilt" was the word he was searching for. He was a man of few emotions, but he understood pain and anger, and he didn't like the feeling he got when he saw the pain on her face. This was an emotion he had never felt before, and he didn't like it. Although puzzled by this feeling, he remained stoic and indifferent in appearance, only causing her to look even more pathetic. Bulma lowered her head before she spoke again, her voice quiet and calm, a tear or two falling from her cheeks, trying her damndest to make sure another one would not escape from her eyes.

"I'll go call everyone. The party is cancelled."

She walked past him through the open door into the hallway, her head down, gazing at her feet, walking past him without her usual energetic, confident composure.

Vegeta got exactly what he wanted, but there was something unsatisfying about this victory.


	11. Comfort

Comfort

After many disappointed phone calls, Bulma retreated back to her room to get some much needed sleep. She changed into a comfortable t-shirt, freeing herself from the tight clothing she had sported during this most unfortunate of days. She wasn't planning on having such a long day. She was quick to blame Vegeta for the cancellation. Everyone seemed to understand however, when she explained that his attitude and refusal to behave himself would have ruined everything anyway, and it would be beneficial to everyone if they simply avoided the situation. She couldn't even talk to Yamucha, he wasn't home. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or upset that she couldn't speak to him. It may have been easier to have just left the message on his answering machine, than to actually speak to him. She laid in her bed, hugging her pillow, as she began to quietly whimper, letting the tears fall freely from her watering eyes.

She hoped with all her heart that he didn't get the wrong idea—she didn't want him to think that she had second thoughts about him and didn't want him to come. She didn't want him to think she was rejecting him. It may have been better than having the party and having Vegeta parade about how he had been sleeping in his former lover's bed every night, but cancelling nonetheless still looked bad on her 'let's get back together' resume. This was a lose-lose situation that she wasn't prepared to deal with. Vegeta, with all of his cunning, had managed to outwit her. No matter how she looked at it, she had a horrible day, and it was all because him. She should have never given the selfish jerk the courtesy of informing him beforehand of her plans. This was her house, and she should have just done what she wanted to do, regardless of his discomfort.

She instinctively stopped whimpering, when she was once again caught off guard by the enigma that was Vegeta. He had lain down in her bed next to her, his form very close to hers, but not quite touching. Bulma sighed.

"What do you want?" she asked in defeat. Vegeta did not respond.

"What are you doing, Vegeta?" she asked calmly, changing her question, wondering if she would get a response or not. She didn't particularly care if she did. She wanted him to leave her alone, but it wasn't as if she could really do anything about it. He responded, most honestly—

"I don't know."

Bulma didn't know what he was trying to do either. Vegeta always seemed to have ulterior motives. He was always so calculated in his endeavors—did he really have no reason for being there?

"Can't you just let me be? You've already caused enough damage."

"You're emotions make you weak, onna. You depend too much on others. Seeing you behave this way irritates me."

"I thought you enjoyed causing others pain."

"I do."

"If you need something, just ask my father in the morning."

"That's not it…"

"Then what is it?"

Her questioning was interrupted when Vegeta removed the pillow she was pathetically clinging to. He replaced the pillow with his arm, pulling her body into his, her form fitting perfectly against his body, like a puzzle piece, filling in all of the gaps with precision. Her head rested gently underneath his chin, the small of her back neatly pressed against the bend of his pelvis. She didn't try to fight him in the least, as she had no ambition to do so. She felt so helpless and empty inside…was he trying to comfort her?

In any case, the warmth of his body and his strong arm wrapped around her ever so gently did bring comfort. It was strange—the person who caused her to feel such pain in the first place was the one person who was making her feel better. Being in his arms felt unnaturally natural, and the pain of loneliness had subsided. She wished that they could just stay that way forever. Vegeta stroked his hand down the length of her arm, stopping at her hand to touch every one of her fingertips.

"You're trembling. Are you frightened?" He questioned.

"No. I'm feeling better," she smiled, softly.

"I can make you feel better than this, if you'll let me," he said suggestively, his voice calm and low.

"Are you still on that, Vegeta?" Bulma smiled.

"I guess so," he responded, flatly.

"I guess it can't be helped. I'm just too beautiful, aren't I Vegeta?"

"Something like that," he said coolly, just before gently turning her on her back, swiftly positioning himself over her, her legs in between his, his hands placed on either side of her head, allowing him to hover over her. She gazed into his eyes with admiration. His eyes and his hair were a striking shade of obsidian, his perfectly sculpted muscles catching the starlight, illuminating his features. He slowly closed the gap between them, pressing his lips softly against hers, gently running his fingers through her medium length, silky and straight, cerulean hair.

Unlike their first time, he was tender and warm, softly turning her head to the side, giving him access to the length of her neck. He kissed her gently down her fragile neck, feeling her back raise with every small press of his soft lips. His right hand journeyed down the delicate body laid so elegantly in front of him, her skin soft to the touch. Bulma closed her eyes and breathed deeply, as his soft touch made her entire body feel like an erogenous zone.

He carefully spread her legs for her, positioning himself perfectly in between them. His groin pressed softly against hers, the sensation causing a soft sigh to escape her. He kissed her lips once again, lifting her up to a sitting position, his arms hugging her tightly against his body. He broke the kiss and grabbed the bottom of her shirt, lifting it up over her head, revealing all of her body, except for the undergarment that still remained, covering the area in between her legs. He removed his tank ever so swiftly, kissing her deeply this time, caressing her tongue with his, his hands returning to the middle of her back, her full and soft bosom pressed against his defined and chiseled chest.

From there he placed her back down onto the bed, this time lifting up her legs, both of her ankles in the grip of his hand and forearm, his other hand gracefully removing her undergarment. He placed her legs back to their position on either side of his pelvis, stopping to admire her naked body, which he had never seen before. He was fortunate to view the lovely specimen laid before him, as if she was placed there just for his enjoyment. Using one arm to support himself, he kissed her, as he used the other to remove the garments covering his lower body.

_Why am I doing this?_ He thought to himself. Still, it was too late for him to stop now. He consciously decided to proceed with the act before anymore questions of doubt entered his mind. He wanted to do this—the reasons why weren't important.

As if reading his mind, the beauty spoke, her voice delicate and seductive, with a hint of confusion.

"Vegeta…why are you…?"

Before she could finish, he carefully slipped himself inside of her, causing her to moan softly. She decided not to question any further. Whether or not she knew why this was happening, it was.

He was completely opposite from the first time he had coupled with her. He was careful and gentle, perfectly matching his pace to her satisfaction. He sped up when her hips buckled, and slowed down when she firmly pressed her fingertips into his shoulder blades. Every time she was about to reach climax, he would slow down, almost to a stop, prolonging her increased pleasure. Their entire bodies were overcome with heat and sweat, as he did this for what felt like hours. He caressed every part of her body, only slightly changing his position to kiss her in various places as he entered in and out of her body. When he felt her begin to shake, he knew he was ready, and increased his pace rapidly. Her moans increased in volume as he did so, but were still soft enough to his liking. He turned over on his back, still inside of her, and hugged her close to his chest, thrusting himself inside of her from his laying position. He held her down tighter against him, her head buried into his left shoulder, one arm holding her back, burrowing her chest into his, his other hand pressed into her lower back as he arched his pelvis upwards while hers pressed down onto his. He let a pleasurable sigh escape him, as he perfectly matched his climax to hers.

He loosened his grip on her, but she did not move. He let his arms fall to his side and closed his eyes, his breathing heavy. Her heavy breathing tickled his ear, and it was a sensation he didn't mind. Neither of them spoke, as their bodies said what their lips couldn't say. Vegeta turned her over on her back again, still inside of her, and stared into the blue depths of her eyes once more. He kissed her one more time before he slowly removed himself. He lied next to her, returning to the position he was in before this all started, both bodies laying on their left sides, their curves fitting into each other magnificently, as they both fell asleep.


	12. Liar, You Lie

Liar, You Lie

Bulma woke up alone the next morning. She had thought for sure that Vegeta would be next to her when she had opened her eyes. Unlike before, she was very confused after this encounter. What did the future hold for them now? Before, it was easily understood that they didn't get along, that they would never have a relationship, and that the physical relationship they had was a one-time thing. However, this was the second time they had been physically intimate with each other, and Vegeta was actually attempting to comfort her after hurting her feelings. He made up for it well, that was for sure, but now she couldn't help but to like him.

Before she simply had a physical attraction to him, but now…now she wanted him to be hers. She had felt a strong connection with him the previous night—he was very in-tune to her wants and needs, and she had never felt closer to anyone in her life the way she felt when Vegeta had made love to her. But much to her displeasure, he wasn't there when she woke up. She wondered when he had left, and why he had left. Clearly, he wasn't as cruel and cold-hearted as she thought he was…but was Vegeta really someone worth pursuing? Was a future with Vegeta realistic? Did she really have feelings for him?

She was so confused. She had to talk to the one person who would be able to answer her questions…Vegeta. This frightened her the most. He could reject her, and most likely would. Was the rejection worth it? Did she want to believe that something was there when it wasn't? Why wasn't she thinking about Yamucha anymore?

She decided to do something she had never done before—she sat outside of the gravity simulator, and waited for Vegeta to come out. _How desperate I must look_, she thought, but she couldn't wait any longer. She would speak to Vegeta the very first chance that she had.

She waited nervously for a half hour, and decided that waiting any longer was probably a dumb idea. Vegeta always spent so much time in there; it might be another 5 hours until he came out! Just as she turned to walk away, the door opened, and at the entrance stood a bulky and sweaty Vegeta, who had decided to take a lunch break. His eyes focused on the woman stood before him, wondering what she was doing there, and how many awful questions she was going to make him answer.

"Vegeta…" Bulma stammered quietly, staring up at the masculine figure that stood before her. He did not reply, he only stared down back at her, waiting for her to explain herself to him.

"About last night…" she started, turning her gaze to the ground below her, unable to face him.

"What about it?" he asked plainly.

"Well…you were so…._different._"

"Is that all you have to say?" he asked, still devoid of emotion. Unlike last night, he seemed to be back to his usual cold, uncaring, self-centered self. Bulma knew she wasn't going to get the answers she desired.

"Well…no…" she looked back up at him again.

"Well what then?" he asked with a hint of aggravation in his voice, as he stared directly back at her, his eyes angry, his mouth frowned.

"Vegeta, I…"

"You what? If you're about to confess your feelings to me, you can save it."

"But Vegeta…"

"But nothing. We had already discussed this matter in detail when it happened the first time. What did you think this was? Did you think that I wanted to be with you?"

"But…you were so soft and gentle…so caring and sweet…so comforting and kind…I thought that maybe…" she managed to get out, her eyes starting to water. Of course he had left her with that impression!

"I seemed that way, but I'm clearly not that way. I knew if I wanted to couple with you, the perfect opportunity would be when you were weak and fragile—vulnerable and lonely. Of course you fell for it, and I got the pleasure I wanted. I told you before, your emotions make you weak, woman. You were manipulated and seduced."

"V-vegeta…you…you can't be serious?" Bulma stammered, still holding back her tears. Vegeta walked straight up to her, and lifted her chin with his thumb, positioning her for a kiss. He stared directly into her eyes.

"I feel nothing for you," he smirked devilishly, removed his thumb from under her chin, and swiftly walked past her. She never turned around to watch him leave—she sank to her knees and held her head in her hands.

"You were a fine specimen last night. You should be proud! You're one of the few to have been touched by the great and all powerful Vegeta!" he shouted back, his sinister laugh echoing outside the compound as he walked away. Before he could reach the door, Bulma stood up, turned around, and yelled back at him.

"Is that all you do Vegeta? Prey on the weak!" Her voice, eyes, and stance all screamed anger.

"Isn't that what the weak are for? To be preyed upon?" with that, he entered the building, his form disappearing from her sight. She sank to her knees once again, and let her tears fall freely.


	13. Secrets

Secrets

Two weeks. Nothing. Three weeks. Nothing. Four weeks…

_I'm late._

Bulma had no contact in any shape or form with Vegeta after what he had done to her. The way he manipulated her was terrible, and he had scorned her worse than Yamucha could have ever done. She was stupid for letting herself fall for such a brute, but that's not why she was feeling regret about what had happened. Mother Nature had failed to bring Bulma her monthly gift, and that left only one possibility. She reluctantly picked up the pregnancy test on the bathroom counter.

_Positive._

After heavy denial and five pregnancy tests later, Bulma finally realized that she was pregnant. Not only that, but there was only one possible father…Vegeta. She sobbed with this realization, her dreams of having a happy loving family of her own, shattered. She could easily raise a baby on her own, she had the money and the support, but she never dreamed of bringing a child into a broken home. She was not with her unborn's father, and he was definitely not father material, and would surely refuse to be in her and her child's life. Not only that, but being pregnant with Vegeta's child, there was no possibility that Yamucha would take her back. Surely, Yamucha would refuse to raise Vegeta's child.

_I can't do this!_

She didn't want to head to the infirmary where a doctor could properly test her, because she was certain she was pregnant. She didn't want to—no—she couldn't tell anyone. She couldn't tell her parents, she couldn't tell her friends, and she couldn't tell Vegeta. Maybe it was unfair for her to do so, but what was the point? He would probably just tell her to get an abortion anyway. Bulma felt her biological clock ticking, and she decided then and there that she was keeping the baby, no questions asked. At least she would have a part of the Saiyan's blood flowing through her veins. The loneliness she felt from being rejected by Vegeta, separated from Yamucha, and distanced from Goku, would all be nullified by this child. Her sense of adventure would continue, as she knew she held a strong warrior in her womb, and there was nothing that would make her let it go.

Having this child made her feel somewhat whole—like she was a part of something. One day, her child could stand by Goku's side and help him save the world, just as Gohan had done, and continued to do. Her child could stand in her place on a battlefield where she could not, and stand strong, as half-breed Saiyans seemed to be the strongest. Although Gohan couldn't control his power, she had witnessed it firsthand on Namek. Such a small boy with such great power… If Chi-Chi hadn't been so obsessed with him becoming a scholar, she would have been more than proud of the boy for his courage and strength.

But she couldn't keep her pregnancy a secret forever. She would show eventually, and she would most definitely need to see a doctor. More importantly, she would eventually have to tell Vegeta of his paternity, although she thought about not doing so. She really didn't care if he knew or not, or if it was his right to. She knew his mannerisms well enough by now to know that he would not help her raise his own child. _Screw him,_ she thought. She didn't owe him anything. If her child decided to confront him as an adult, then so be it. She couldn't lie, she liked the idea of Vegeta getting his ass beaten to a pulp by their child, almost as a reminder of what he put her through, and what he deserves to feel.

_No, that wouldn't be fair. I can't have a child just to spite Vegeta_, she concluded. She was having this baby for herself, not to seek revenge on him. There was, however, one person she felt she needed to tell above anyone else, and this realization shocked her. She felt no need to tell Vegeta about being pregnant with his child for reasons unknown to her—probably because she felt doing so wouldn't change anything anyways, and he would find out soon enough. She felt a strong impulse that she had to come clean to Yamucha. He would surely be angry and hurt, but he was the one person she could count on besides Son-kun, and she owed it to him. She owed it to him to tell him the truth, about everything.

_Oooh, but I really don't want to!_ She thought in agony. Telling Yamucha would be the hardest experience of her life. What was she supposed to say? Hey Yamucha, I'm pregnant with Vegeta's baby, which means we had sex. Want to get back together and raise the child of the man who was responsible for your death? Yeah, that would go over well. Although, technically, it wasn't Vegeta who killed him, it was Nappa and the Saibamen…but it was under Vegeta's orders, and he was directly tied to them, and he did try to kill everyone and destroy the planet. Yamucha's hatred toward Vegeta was not unfounded, nor was his placing blame on Vegeta for his own death. Ugh, how did she end up with such a monster?

That's exactly what he was, a monster. Surely Yamucha of all people would understand how such an evil man could manipulate her into doing such a thing. Surely he would understand…

But how would she tell him? She had to tell him in person. What would she say? More importantly, what would his reaction be? All of this was too much to handle right now. It was just as well, she didn't have to do it right this second, she literally just found out she was pregnant. Even so, she couldn't shake the immense guilt that she felt and the anxious feeling throughout her body in not telling him. If she didn't tell him soon, she would continue to suffer from anxiety, and that would not be good for the baby. She had to tell him, but finding the right time and place seemed impossible.

* * *

_Something is slightly…off…_Vegeta pondered. During the past week and a half he could feel a slight ki pop up and vanish just as quickly during his training. Even though it was very small, it caught him by surprise almost every time and it was interrupting his sparring sessions. It was really irritating. He figured it must have been some large dinosaur or other animal roaming somewhere on the compound. However, he couldn't shake that something about this ki felt…slightly familiar somehow…

Every time he attempted to locate the nuisance, the ki vanished. All he could sense, however, was that it was coming inside of the headquarters building. Just what the hell where they doing in there? No matter, they probably had dinosaurs in there somewhere anyhow, conducting weird experiments on them. He rationalized that they must have been doing an experiment on a strong animal, its ki sparking before tranquilization, and vanishing after it had been tranquilized. It still, however, did not explain the slight familiarity he felt to the mysterious ki. It was as if he felt it before, but he couldn't place where.

! ! !

"There, just now! I've found you!" Vegeta exclaimed aloud, before flying hastily in the direction the ki was spotted last. He found himself upstairs outside of Bulma's bedroom. He hid his ki, just in case. Almost as soon as he made himself invisible, he heard voices coming from her room. He used his keen sense of hearing to establish the parties involved: It was Yamucha and Bulma, and they were having some sort of conversation. What the hell was he doing here, and what could those two possibly have to talk about? Even though he figured their conversation was probably useless to him, he decided to eaves drop anyhow. The ki that he felt came from this room, and it wasn't Bulma's or Yamucha's.

"I'm so sorry Yamucha…I know how you must feel about this…"

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hurt, but there's no point in chastising you for it. We weren't together, after all."

"Well…yeah, but…and it's not just that, that doesn't make it ok Yamucha. I really am sorry—"

"You know he isn't going to want any part in this."

"Of course I know that…"

"When are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know if it really matters whether I tell him or not."

"That's true. You still probably should though, you never know what that guy's reaction will be, he's unpredictable. He might be super pissed if you don't tell him, even though he won't have any part of it."

"I guess that's true…thanks for taking this so well Yamucha…"

"If you…y'know…wanted to get rid of it…we could start a family of our own…"

"I know Yamucha…but you know I can't do that."

"I know…but you know I can't raise another man's child."

* * *

! ! !

_What?_ Vegeta stumbled back, ever so slightly. _Did I hear that right—what the hell are they talking about?_

_

* * *

_

"I know. I just need you to be a friend to me now, Yamucha. That's all I need, are my friends and my family. I don't need anybody else…please—"

"Of course…but I guess…we're really through now huh?"

"…"

* * *

What was she hiding from him? What was she plotting against him this time? That woman was becoming a real thorn in Vegeta's side. It had only been a month since they last spoke, when he made their relationship, or lack thereof, very clear to Bulma. Was she plotting some sort of covert attack on him out of revenge?

Whatever the hell was going on, Vegeta didn't like it one bit. True to his character, he would find the answers that he sought, and would demand them out of her if necessary. Until then, he decided to be a silent observer. He was unsure if this was a strategic move, or if he was entrusting the woman to tell him herself exactly what she was hiding. That, and he didn't want to blow up on her if it had nothing to do with him. He also didn't want her thinking that he cared about what she had to say, or to label him as some creep who sits outside her bedroom spying on her.

Why the hell did he care what she thought of him anyway?


	14. Secrets Revealed

Secrets Revealed

For two weeks Bulma had been deliberately ignoring Vegeta. Not avoiding, but ignoring, and it was driving Vegeta crazy.

He couldn't explain his agitation. She was hiding something deliberately from him, an acted as if he didn't even exist. He was used to avoiding her, and had been quite successful at it, and had never been bothered by it before. Then again, it was he who was always the aggressor—the initiator and the instigator. He now found himself on the other side, and he didn't know how to express his feelings toward it, other than it infuriated him.

At the same time, he couldn't get himself to say anything to her either. He often would pass her on the staircase—she would be walking down the stairs as he was walking up them to go to his room. She never said a word or even looked at him. He tried to pretend he wasn't looking at her, but he always stared at her cautiously through his peripherals.

He pretended to be stoic, indifferent, and calm. He acted as though he was ignoring her as well, and hoped to Kami she didn't somehow know that he was extremely agitated by her blatant ignorance of his presence. He thought she was annoying and troublesome before, but this lack of attention from her seemed to be even more distressing than the latter. Who did that bitch think she was anyway? Did she think she was better than him? Just ignoring him like that, without a word? Not even a '_Vegeta-kun_?'

He stopped for a second…when was the last time she called him that? He couldn't even remember. He hated it when she called him that…why was he hoping for her to call him that now? Maybe it wasn't the name, but just the acknowledgment. For all of the times when he had wished to be invisible, when he got what he wanted, he completely despised it. Even the annoying _'Vegeta-kun's'_ and _'hello's'_ and even some fighting words at least made him feel important in some way. As if, no matter how hard he tried to be invisible, his royal presence was enough to make someone feel as though they were forced to acknowledge him.

He was also agitated by his immense curiosity. No matter how many times he spotted her, or deliberately followed her, she never said a word or even looked at him. What had her and that weakling Yamucha been discussing in her room that night?

And that stupid ki! As the days went on he could feel it more and more, and only she could have known what it possibly was. It was there in the room with her. Was it that mysterious teenager from 2 years ago? Was he hiding out in the compound, waiting for the right moment to strike him? He was wearing Capsule Corp attire…did he work for them?

Vegeta always questioned everything, and trusted no one. Given his life experience, trust lead to one's death. Although she was a weak human woman, she was not to be trusted. She was also very intelligent and calculating when need be, and that itself could prove to be dangerous. He couldn't help but feel as though the person she was discussing in her room had been him. The last thing he heard he had chosen to ignore, although what he viewed as ignorance was actually complete denial.

_"I know…but you know I cannot raise another man's child."_

He knew what they were talking about when he heard this statement. He knew where the ki was coming from. His denial was so strong, that he almost instantly erased the statement from memory after hearing it. Unlike his usual self, he would not jump to conclusions. He had tried to be patient with her, hoping that she would knock on his door and tell him exactly what was going on.

He figured she would have. He was always able to count on her for some unwanted interpersonal contact, but that was gone now. He thought back to the day outside of the compound when he told her he felt nothing for her—that he had seduced and manipulated her. He could feel her distress as she cried, but would never admit to himself that it bothered him, or that he might have been over exaggerating a bit with his words. Did he really hurt her so badly that she wouldn't even speak to him anymore? Was he so harsh with her to protect her? Or was it to protect himself? Or did he truly feel that way?

Questioning feelings was considered weak in Vegeta's mind. As a result, the woman was making him weak. He had wished that he had never met her. He wished that he could have remained as indifferent to her presence as he pretended to be. He wished that he had never coupled with her and made his life so much more complicated than necessary. He had never had so much interpersonal contact with a woman before—if this is what happened from doing so, all women must be trouble. He took a mental note to stay away from the female species from now on. One exception had already proved to be more than he could handle, although nobody would ever know it—probably not even himself to some degree.

When he felt that small spark of familiar ki again, he decided to follow it. He knew it would lead him to her. It was no matter; he had been trying to keep an eye on her anyhow. He would watch her movements, facial expressions, body language, take note of what she did during the day…after an immense day of training, of course. He was shocked to find that he couldn't read her—he was unaware of her intentions, and she didn't seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary…other than ignoring him and hiding ex-lovers in her bedroom. He didn't know how long he could go on with this ignoring game, his patience was wearing thin.

* * *

He found himself in the main living quarters. Bulma was sitting on the large couch; drinking some tea and eating a small sandwich, watching some strange dramatic TV show. There was a second, smaller couch adjacent to the larger one, forming an L shape, with a table in the middle, and a recliner, opposite the smaller couch. There was a large television of high quality, and had a great sound system, along with other gadgets that were connected to it…probably things to watch movies or play video games, he didn't quite know. This sort of entertainment was new to him, and he rarely indulged in it. He had only been in the room 2 or 3 times in the years he had spent there. It was an awkward room to him, as the space taken up by the furniture was so small, and yet the room it was in was immense.

He sat down onto the adjacent smaller couch, at the far right corner of it. He was as close to her as possible without having to share seating with her, and could view the television better from this position. She continued to nibble on her sandwich, stare at the television, and ignore him. He noticed her body only slightly tense up as he entered the room, but she returned to a relaxed state quickly. She was still ignoring him, and it made him…well…nervous?

Anxious? Angry? What the hell was he feeling anyway? A man of few emotions, it was hard to label the new feelings he kept encountering every time he was near this woman. The only thing he did know was that he was confused as all hell.

He sat there, periodically shooting sideways glances at her. She must have seen him looking; he was too close for her to not know he was looking at her. She didn't flinch. Not even once.

_Hmm…what the hell am I supposed to say? _He contemplated. He didn't know if he should just go all out and demand an explanation out of her, and tell her of the conversation he overheard, and the ki that he was feeling every now and again, and how he knew she was hiding something from him. He was wary, however, as the last time he was frank with her, she started doing this ignoring bullshit. He decided to remain patient, but not silent…

"This show is ridiculous, woman, how can you stand it?"

"…"

He grinded his teeth for a second, and kept himself from growling at her. He tried again…

"So…that woman is mating with that woman's husband, who is also mating with her brother's sister's cousin…what?"

"…"

"Tck…" he flinched. Here he was, trying to make conversation, and she would not respond. His tone of voice was awkward and restrained. He glanced at her quickly before and after each time he spoke, to see if her expression had changed at all. It had not.

"I…I don't understand this, explain it to me. Are humans really that promiscuous?"

"…"

"ARGH!" He grunted loudly, while simultaneously standing up and pounding a fist on the coffee table, causing her tea cup and small plate to shake. He was frustrated, but was still careful not to break anything. He literally had to hold himself back mid punch, or he would have done so, and possibly scared her away. He didn't want to scare her…but she was pissing him off!

"SAY SOMETHING!" He shouted.

He slightly gasped in surprise, as she turned her head to face him. She stared directly into his eyes, and he could feel her resentment. She turned her head back to the TV screen and continued to finish her sandwich.

"Monica's husband had an affair with her best friend Whitney. However, he is also sleeping with Whitney's cousin Emiko. They all found out, and now they are plotting his death. However, Whitney doesn't know that Monica and Emiko have also plotted to kill her as well."

Vegeta's scowl turned into a face of confusion. His eyes widened, his right eyebrow raised as the other dropped, and his mouth remained slightly opened, but his teeth were not bared. He sat back down on the adjacent couch. He closed his eyes for a moment, clenching his fists and allowing his body to shake. He calmed himself down, let out a quiet sigh, and turned his head to gaze at her.

"That's…that's pretty fucked up."

"Yup."

"Have you ever plotted to kill someone before?" he asked cautiously. Whatever the woman was watching, it was ridiculous, but it was also about women scorned, plotting the deaths of their mates and their colleagues. He wondered if she was getting any ideas from this television show…

"Have you?" she asked plainly, but the sarcasm was still apparent.

"Uh…well…yeah…but not for reasons like that."

They sat in silence and watched the drama until the next commercial. He had, for the first time, attempted to relate to her in some way—to have a normal conversation with her. It was awkward as hell, and he had never felt the need to do such a thing before, but she had spoken to him. Not about what he wanted to speak about, but at least she wasn't ignoring him.

"Sooo…" he started.

"Is something broken?"

"What?"

"You didn't come here to chat with me. If something is broken, my father is in the main lab downstairs."

"Nothing's broken."

The commercial break had ended, and their silence returned, as the show continued. He pretended to watch it, but really, he was periodically shooting glances at her, agonizing over what he should say next.

"So…um…that's the guy?"

"Yup. That's Charles. He's in deep shit now, Ken has agreed to take the hit, and now he's on his way over there."

"The hit? He agreed to be hit? Why would he do that?"

"It means he agreed to kill him. When someone takes a job to kill someone for money, he's called a hit-man. So he agreed to take the hit."

"So he's an assassin?"

"You could call it that, but an assassin is more like someone who agrees to kill someone of importance, like a president, or a ruler, or someone else of a higher status."

"I see…"

Once again, the silence returned. The show ended like a typical drama, with an irritating cliff-hanger. Would Charles be killed? Wait until the next episode!

"This is absurd. How can they just end it like that? That is not a conclusion."

"It's a TV show. It will be on again tomorrow. If it really bothers you, you can watch it then to see if the story will come to any conclusions."

"I don't think I will be doing that. I don't particularly like or understand this form of entertainment."

"Suit yourself." She stated, picking up her dishes and making her way to exit the room.

"Wait…uh…where are you going?"

"Not far. Why?"

"We…we have something to discuss."

"Indeed, we do. But not now. Later."

"Grr…what are you hiding from me!" he cracked. He didn't want to be so blatant about his actions, as she was clearly hiding hers, but he couldn't help himself.

"Fine, you want to know?"

"Damnit….why else would I ask?"

"I'm pregnant."

With that, she exited the room, leaving a stunned Vegeta in the room to himself. His face turned pale, his stomach dropped, and he started to feel a cold sweat engulf his body. His hands shook slightly, and his eyes widened. He didn't move for an entire hour.

* * *

**A/N Sorry for the cliffhanger! I just edited all of the chapters based on previous reviews, so I hope the chapters flow a little bit better in places now. I will have a new chapter soon, it just took me forever to re-read and edit all of the chapters, and I had to move and just got the internet a couple days ago.**


	15. Breaking Point

Breaking Point

"_I'm pregnant."_

The statement played over and over in Vegeta's mind for what felt like an eternity. It sure as hell explained everything.

_"I know…but you know I cannot raise another man's child."_

This was the other statement that plagued him. It meant the child wasn't Yamucha's. The familiar sparks of ki? It was Saiyan, that's why it felt familiar…

It was his. After sitting there for an hour he finally came to the conclusion that the baby was, indeed his.

That was the last straw. Vegeta had finally reached his breaking point. His royal bloodline, poisoned with human weakling blood. This was most certainly against tradition. He had no intention of bringing up some half breed punk anyway. It was a disgrace to the royal family, and it was not something he took lightly.

While everything else up until this point was mainly him putting up with annoying circumstances, this revelation was a crime to him. He wanted to blame her for everything, but he couldn't. Surely she did this on purpose! But no…out of the two sexual encounters they had, he had initiated both. He knew that humans and Saiyans were compatible for breeding, but…it must have slipped his mind. Surely she could have prevented such a thing from happening!

"Everything in my life is ruined! I can't take this anymore!" he shouted. Something was going to blow up and something was going to blow up now.

* * *

Screams could be heard coming from the Brief's estate, following the sounds of a massive explosion. The main living area had been reduced to a pile of rubble. All of the Capsule Corp employees could be seen running out of the building with their hands in the air, screaming with fright. It was total pandemonium.

"Oh my goodness, what happened, dear?" Mrs. Brief's exclaimed, as she worriedly clung onto her husband.

"Well…the living room is gone…"

"Oh my god, Bulma was just in there! Is she ok? Oh no my baby is dead!" Mrs. Briefs cried.

"I'm fine mother!" Bulma yelled from a distance. She had left the building a while ago to take a walk and get some sun, when she heard the big explosion and saw the mushroom cloud hovering over her home. She ran towards her parents and gave them both a big hug. They were so sweet for worrying about her like that.

"Oh my sweet baby, you're alright!" her mother exclaimed with relief. She didn't know what she would do without the company of her precious daughter.

"Yes, I'm glad to see you're all safe and sound, Bulma. As you can see, the main living room has been destroyed. I'd say this would take years to fix, but I am a genius, and I also happen to have a lot of money," Dr. Brief's explained.

"How long will it take to rebuild? A couple weeks?" Bulma asked.

"A few days should do it. I will have the man power here for the job in no time."

"Maybe Vegeta can help!" Mrs. Brief's chimed in.

"Mom, he's a warrior, not a carpenter…"

_Whoa, now I'm starting to sound like Vegeta…I wonder if it's because of the baby, _she thought for a quick second.

"He can learn," Dr. Brief's said plainly. He rarely showed anger, and was almost as happy go lucky as his wife, but he felt that Vegeta was most likely responsible for destroying his home, and he didn't appreciate it. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find him do y—"

"I'm right here old man," Vegeta said lowly, causing all three of them to jump. They all stopped to catch their breath.

"May I ask what your reasoning is for blowing up the compound this time?" Dr. Brief's asked, as nicely as he could. He would have liked to really yell at him, but let's face it: a guy who can blow up part of your house in an instant wasn't exactly the type of person you weren't afraid to yell at.

"Because of that wench of a daughter of yours, that's why!" he yelled, glaring over at Bulma. She gulped. The way he looked at her was the same way he looked at her on Namek. It was absolutely frightening.

"She's not a bench Vegeta, she's a person!" Mrs. Brief's smiled. Man that woman could change a subject.

"Enough of this incessant chatter! This woman has deliberately destroyed the Saiyan royal bloodline and deserves to be killed! You are ALL lucky that room was the ONLY thing that was destroyed!" Bulma gulped again.

"Well, that's enough excitement for one day, I think I'm gonna go now!" Bulma said quickly, trying to escape the wrath of Vegeta. He grabbed the back of her yellow sun dress and pulled her back into the huddle.

"You're not going anywhere, you understand!" he screamed. Bulma clenched her eyes shut and covered her ears. Kami, he was scary.

"H-hey now…c'mon, stop that Vegeta, don't manhandle my daugh-daughter like that…" Dr. Brief's stammered. He was genuinely afraid, but he couldn't just let someone treat his daughter like that right in front of him.

"You're daughter is a concubine, and will be treated as such!" Vegeta could not control his anger. He wasn't even really sure what he was doing there. He wanted to bash the woman's skull in is what he really wanted to do. For some reason he couldn't find the resolve to do it in front of her parents. Maybe it was because they had acted as surrogate parents to him as well. That or servants. Either way, it just didn't feel right, and he didn't care why. If he was going to kill her, he wanted it to be perfect. Now was not the perfect time.

No matter, he enjoyed taking his rage out on people, places, and things. This rage was pretty deep, however. Bulma did not understand the gravity of the situation. She did not understand that her carrying the prince's child was taboo in his culture.

"Con-con-concubine! Why Vegeta, you—" Dr. Brief's started.

"She's pregnant with my seed. You either get rid of it, _doctor_, or I get rid of your daughter," He said sinisterly, narrowing his eyes down at the doctor, who he was sure could get rid of the baby without killing Bulma.

"WHAT!" Mr. and Mrs. Brief's exclaimed, simultaneously.

"Bulma! Why, you and…and Vegeta?"

"Oh sweetie, I'm so happy for you, congratulations!"

"Thanks mom!"

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta interrupted. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH OF A DISGRACE THAT CHILD IS! I REFUSE TO FATHER A HALF WEAKLING MUT!" he screamed.

"THEN DON'T!" Bulma yelled. "Please, Vegeta, just stop this. It's your fault anyway, I was manipulated and seduced, right?"

"Oh my god woman, SHUT THE HELL UP! KNOW YOUR PLACE! You're practically begging me to kill you!"

"Look, Vegeta, please…please, let's discuss this in private!"

"I'd rather discuss this with the doctor!"

"Just calm down, please! We will talk about this matter in private! This is all too much for me right now…" Bulma pleaded. She just wanted him to stop screaming and insulting her in front of her parents. Not only was it terrifying, she was mortified as to what her parents would think. Surely they would try to talk her into getting an abortion after witnessing the fit that Vegeta just had. _Last time I listen to Yamucha!_ She thought. She should have never told him she was pregnant.

"Fine, I'll accept your offer. I've already wasted enough of my time here. Clean up your house, it looks like a disgusting pile of rubble. I also request funding from you to stay somewhere else that is divine until you fix this mess up. I refuse to live in such filth."

"Seriously? You know what, fine, I'll make the arrangements to have you stay at the finest 4 star hotel in town," she stated. _Yes, please, just leave this place!_ She begged in her mind.

"Excellent. Meet me up in your chambers when you have made the proper arrangements."

"M-m-my room? Go hang out in your own room!"

"Complain one more time, I dare you…"

Bulma decided not to press any further. She nodded her head in agreement. She let a huge sigh of relief as Vegeta finally let go of the back of her dress, and made his way toward the compound.

* * *

Hello everyone. I've had writer's block for ages, but I felt the need to finally write something. Hopefully it keeps coming! And sorry that this is short, but I figured I'd post it ASAP. Sorry for the long wait! Please forgive me, this story will eventually be done!


	16. The Shot Heard 'Round The World

The Shot Heard 'Round The World

"Wolf FAANG—"

"Ka MEE…HAA MEEE—huh?"

"Yamucha! Krillin! Come here quick!" Master Roshi shouted.

"FIST!"

"YAMUCHA WAIT!" Krillin yelled back. The old man had distracted him mid attack. He hoped he had something important to say, and wasn't interrupting them again to show off one of his dirty magazines…well, at least not during his sparring match with Yamucha. He was hoping to get the man's attention before he could complete the assault.

"Huh? What's wrong Krillin?" Yamucha asked, cancelling his attack. At least both warriors seemed to be improving in their training, which was hard to do when you had a private beach to yourself—it was hard not to be lazy at Master Roshi's.

"There's been an explosion at Bulma's, it's all over the news, come check it out!" The hermit exclaimed. When something big was going on at Capsule Corporation, it made headlines. Both men rushed inside, took a seat on the floor, and glued their eyes to the outdated television set.

"There's been a huge explosion at the Capsule Corporation headquarters. It's been reported that an entire wing of the estate has suddenly blown up. The cause of the explosion so far is unknown, and no reporters have been allowed entry onto the estate to get a statement from anyone in the Brief's family. Casualties and injuries are unknown at this time. This is Shelly Shellington for Z TV Action News, we will keep you updated with the latest news coverage as it happens. Back to you Jon!"

"You don't think it's the androids, do you?" Krillin contemplated.

"But…they aren't supposed to show up for almost another two years!" Yamucha responded.

"I'm not so sure myself anymore…" Krillin said quietly, shifting his gaze to the floor.

"I don't know if the future boy you told me of was right or wrong," Roshi started, "but it wouldn't hurt if one of you would take a quick stop over there to make sure our friends are all right."

"I'll go." Yamucha stated.

"Are you sure you want to do that Yamucha?" Krillin asked, his left brow raised.

"I have to make sure Bulma is ok…and if it is the androids, I won't fight them myself. I'll head straight to Goku's and tell him and Piccolo. And then we'll get Vege…VEGETA!" Yamucha immediately ran out of the door and blasted off into the sky.

"What's up with him?" Krillin wondered, turning his head to face his master.

"He figured out what caused the explosion, most likely," he smiled.

* * *

"Hmmm?" Piccolo hummed aloud.

"Whoa, Piccolo, did you feel that too?" Gohan asked, stopping mid punch once he saw his father and his mentor stop their intense sparring session. The green man nodded in his direction.

"What was that?" the boy inquired.

"I think it was Vegeta. Wow, he must be training pretty hard if I'm sensing him all the way out here!" Goku exclaimed. He was excited to feel such a presence. Although it was apparent Vegeta hated him, Goku's Saiyan blood could not turn down a fight—especially a fight against someone who looked so much like him-with the same potential as he…well, it was exciting! He wanted a rematch just as badly as Vegeta had. The two were complete opposites, but their shared ancestry and love for fighting bonded them.

"I think you're right, Goku," Piccolo spoke. His demeanor was always cool, calm, and collected. Although he used to be an evil creature, he seemed the most level headed of all of the Z-warriors-not that it meant he didn't have a temper. He just thought things through more than the others, and seemed to always understand the gravity of the situation at hand, whereas others would either worry too much or too little. He was always aware of his abilities: he knew if he had a chance to defeat his opponent or if he was outmatched. He was secretly happy that Gohan had started to take after him in this respect, instead of his father. After all, it was due to his father's own personal weakness that these androids were coming to kill them in the first place. Gohan was the first thing Piccolo ever cared about in his life, and may have saved him from even himself. Gohan was like a son to him, and to see him take after him made him proud. He knew he had a great warrior on his hands—the strength of a Saiyan, the heart of his father, and the wisdom of a Namek. The boy was turning out to be quite the prodigy.

"DINNER'S READY!" Chi Chi shouted out the front door, as loudly as she could. It seemed that no matter how badly she tried to spend time with her husband or her son, they never came around unless there was food on the table. She was flabbergasted as to why her husband could never hear her call him to the house to do laundry, or clean, or pay a bill. Yet, if he was halfway across the universe, and she yelled that dinner was ready, he appeared in an instant.

"I can hear your wife calling."

"Yeah, it's time to eat, dad!"

"Alright!"

"Enjoy your family time alone."

"Huh?" uttered Gohan.

"I'm going to head over to Capsule Corporation and make sure everything is alright. I'm sure the energy I felt was Vegeta's, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Goku nodded, "I think that sounds reasonable. C'mon Gohan, if your mother waits any longer we'll both pay for it."

"Right."

* * *

_"I will be born two years from now."_

The Namek remembered overhearing this statement from Trunks on that fateful day, one year and three months ago. This surge of energy he sensed came around the exact time he should have been conceived. Either Vegeta just found out he was going to be a father, or something was seriously wrong. Piccolo had no intention of communicating with anyone—his role was that of the silent observer.

* * *

Yamucha flew as fast as he could toward his ex-lovers estate. He thought for a second that it could be a covert attack, but as soon as he thought of the name Vegeta, he knew exactly what was going on. The ill tempered Saiyan must have found out about Bulma's pregnancy, and blew up part of the compound. Whether or not Bulma was safe, he was unaware, and this was his main concern.

If ANYTHING happened to her…he swore he would find a way to kill him.

As he flew over the compound, Yamucha noticed hundreds of TV reporters from across the globe trying to gain access to the building, while others were trying to leave…and while others were trying to gawk or sneak in…thank god he could fly.

Once he arrived, he hovered over the estate, looking for the blue haired heiress that once belonged to him. Regardless of the fact that they broke up…and she was pregnant…with another man's child…who happened to be Vegeta…he started wondering if maybe he was out of place being there. That was, until he saw her, hugging her mother, with her father standing beside her. He made his landing.

"Bulma, what's going on, are you alright?" Yamucha asked frantically, causing Bulma to gasp loudly. She turned around quickly to see Yamucha standing there. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, it's just you, Yamucha. You really scared me!"

"You realize this is all over the news? I had to come to make sure you were ok. Thank Kami I found you safe and sound!" Yamucha couldn't believe how relieved he was to find her in good health. They had been broken up for a while, and he had most certainly felt betrayed by her. However, the need to protect her still remained in his body.

"It's ok, Yamucha…Everything's—"

"Where is he?"

"You mean…?"

"Vegeta. Where is he?"

"Well…he's…ah…"

"You can either tell me or I'll just sense him out."

"Last thing he said to me was that he'd be in my room…but I can handle—"

"Of course he would wait for you in your room," Yamucha said lowly, turning his gaze from her blue eyes to his clenched fist.

"Yamucha…I really appreciate you being here, I really do," she started, "but I think it would be best for everyone if you just let me handle this."

"Yeah, easier said than done," said a hate filled Yamucha. Fuck Vegeta, why did anyone give a rat's ass about him? Bulma seemed to, Goku seemed to…hell, even Piccolo seemed to!

"But Yamucha…" Bulma pleaded. She was grateful that he showed up to make sure she was alright. However, she couldn't help but feel somewhat emotional whenever she saw him, for she would always love him. It was hard for her to even look at him—she felt a lot of guilt. Yet, here he was. She asked for him to be a friend to her when she was in need, and he was there. She was grateful.

She also knew how dangerous Vegeta was at the moment. Sure, she'd had her fair share of arguments with him before…and although his past made her question her own morality for simply associating with such a being, he had changed over time. Nobody else saw it, but she did. Nobody else saw his softer side—the small part that was there—she saw it. Nobody understood the prince's hardships and mood swings quite like she did. She felt sorry for him even when she shouldn't have.

"I think you oughtta listen to my little girl on this one. Vegeta might be tempted to kill anyone else…" Dr. Brief's informed the man he had once hoped would become his future son in law.

"I don't care," he said through his clenched teeth.

"Yamucha, are you forgetting how strong the Saiyans are?" The doctor asked again, lighting a cigarette, "Wait, where's that damn cat?"

"I don't care if he's Saiyan or not! I'm so angry I'll find a way to kill him!"

"Ok then Yamucha, if you insist on confronting Vegeta right now, I can spell out a couple of different scenarios for you," Bulma started, crossing her arms and letting out a sigh, "Scenario #1: You go confront Vegeta, and he kills you. Scenario #2: You confront Vegeta, and you both blow up my room. Scenario #3: You confront Vegeta, you blow up my room, and he kills you. "

"But—"

"OR I can set up a hotel room for him, bring him there, and come back home and take a nap. Which sounds like the best option for you? Choose wisely." She said cautiously, squinting her eyes at Yamucha.

"Fine, you do it. But I'll be outside the door should anything happen. I'll keep my power level hidden so he doesn't sense me and throw a fit," he reluctantly gave in.

"Good choice," she winked.


	17. Who's the Boss?

Who's The Boss?

Bulma sighed as she stared toward her home. Vegeta really had done a number on it. She frowned slightly, looking at the big empty hole in the middle of her house.

Yamucha noticed her despair, which angered him even more. He thought about putting his arm around her, but something about that felt too familiar. She was Vegeta's woman now, whether she would ever admit to it or not. If she really hated him like she said she did, she wouldn't excuse everything he did. Yamucha knew if he were to pull less than half of the shit Vegeta did, Bulma would probably kill him in his sleep. As much as he hated it, she was a woman, and he was gentlemanly enough to comfort her for that reason alone.

"You ok, Bulma?" he asked, sounding concerned. Bulma let out a deep sigh just before covering her face with her hands, shaking her head.

"I'm extremely pissed off…" she said softly. She had been trying to maintain her composure, but looking at that empty space just irked her. How dare Vegeta destroy her home? Who did that bastard think he was? That barbarian had no limits, and it was about time that he had learned his place in her home. But how did you intimidate the all powerful, 'I'll blow up your house,' Vegeta?

Yamucha was actually surprised at her answer. He expected her to feel sad, or perfectly fine. In a way, he would rather her be angry. Taking orders, being sad, and moping around was way out of character for her. For the first time in a while he felt that she might finally return to her normal self.

"Yeah, I can see why," Yamucha smiled, gently removing her hands off of her face with his own. Bulma looked down at their touching hands. She missed his soft touch as opposed to Vegeta's constant manhandling. Yamucha would have been a great father…she sighed again.

"Yamucha, why are you so nice to me?"

"Well…" he started, "I've never experienced so much with a woman before. You will always mean a lot to me. My first, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know," she smiled, looking up at him.

"So, you ready to go inside?" he asked.

"I guess I have no other choice," she shrugged.

"We probably should go through a stable entrance," suggested Yamucha.

"You're probably right. Something will probably fall on us if we walk through here," she said with irritation.

The pair walked around the building to the back entrance. They walked down the hallway toward the dining room, when Bulma stopped.

"I'm not ready to go over that way yet…let's go down to my office," she said cooly, turning around and heading towards the basement.

They made their way to her office, where Bulma sat at her desk chair. Yamucha stood in the doorway, just in case.

"So what are you going to do?" he inquired.

"Honestly, I'm not sure."

"Aren't you going to call a hotel or something?"

"You would think that."

Yamucha stopped to stare at her figure. Her back was facing him, her blue hair lying perfectly down to her shoulders. She was slightly hunched over, her eyes staring blankly at the computer screen in front of her—her right hand clenched onto the mouse while her left hand clenched the telephone. His face got slightly hot as he immediately became aware of the volcano that was about to erupt in front of him. He knew all too well when Bulma was ticked off, and this was a sure sign of the silence before the storm he had come to recognize over the years. This is how she acted right before she got scary…

He gulped.

"Ahh…so….what's the problem?" he asked cautiously, knowing any wrong word could set this woman off.

"How am I going to get him there?" she asked in a stern, yet quiet voice.

"Drive him?"

"How am I going to drive him anywhere with all of this outside of my house?" She asked, her voice muffled in frustration, as she pointed to the monitor. Many videos where playing on the screen.

"What's that?"

"It's every live broadcasting news station in the western hemisphere…"

"Oh…and?"

"AND THEY'RE ALL OUTSIDE MY HOUSE!" she yelled, slamming her hands on her desk, causing Yamucha to jump back. She let out another loud sigh, closed her eyes, and slowly moved her hands down on her lap. She clenched her fists and rubbed them into her thighs. She opened her eyes and spun around in her chair to face Yamucha. She sat straight up in her chair, her arms on the armrests and legs crossed. She looked like some big time executive. A drop of sweat fell from his forehead, as the woman sitting before him looked most intimidating and ferocious, although her demeanor was cool.

"I'm sorry Yamucha, I didn't mean to yell at you. It's not you I'm mad at," she apologized. She pulled herself together just long enough to let him know she didn't mean to offend him in any way. She was pissed, but she didn't want to take it out on Yamucha—not when he was being supportive for once.

"Ahh…ha ha…that's ok," he managed, squinting his eyes and scratching the back of his head with that goofy smile.

"I can't sneak him out of here. Even if the police escort everyone off the property, they will still be waiting just passed the barricade."

"Maybe he can fly himself there?"

"Oh yeah, sure. Then everyone will have live video coverage of a man flying out of my house. I already have to explain this explosion—I don't know how I could explain that."

"So…are you just going to tell him to stay here then?"

"I don't see any other option. What a shame," she sighed. Yamucha just looked down at her and blinked.

"Alright, I know what I have to do," she stated clearly. She suddenly stood up from her chair, and began to walk forcefully towards the exit. Yamucha immediately cleared the doorway, getting out of her way. When Bulma was on a mission, there was no stopping her. He gasped slightly as he realized she was already at the top of the steps. He hurried after her, slowing his pace to hers once he caught up with her.

They entered through the dining room and into the main hallway. To their left stood the stairway to the main bedrooms, and in front of them stood what was left of the living area. Bulma's face began to turn red, as she stared at the destruction with awe. It was different looking at it from the inside. It was more real and in your face and it really, REALLY, made her mad.

"Wow..." Yamucha said in awe, as he silently stared around the room. He walked into the vacant space and looked around curiously.

"This guy has got a lot of self control…" he stated matter of factly, "He concentrated all of his energy to this one room. Everything around it is completely stable and untouched. It's like he was careful not to break anything else, he only wanted this specific area gone."

"You call this self control?" Bulma shot back, giving Yamucha a menacing glance.

"N-n-no….o-of course not!" he stuttered, fearful of the fire in her eyes. She moved her glance from him and immediately began to storm up the stairs toward her bedroom. Yamucha once again hurried after her. She looked like she was about to explode, and he didn't want her to do anything stupid.

Bulma reached the top of the stairs, took a mean left, swung her bedroom door open, and immediately spotted Vegeta sitting at the edge of her bed. He turned his head to face her, but before he could get a sly comment out, her face had appeared directly in front of his, and her right hand grabbed his left ear as hard as it could. Her nails dug into the area between his ear and his head, and she squeezed it and pulled it away from his head as much as her strength would let her.

"AHHHH!"

The Saiyan prince let out a screech of pain, as his head was forced to face down. She pulled him toward her, forcing him to get up. They made their way to the balcony, with her strong strides and Vegeta's crippled walk. His eyes watched the back of her feet, as it was all he was allowed to see. That and a major close up of her rear end. Why the fuck did this hurt so much? _While in battle_, _make sure to always guard the ears_, he thought, taking down a quick mental side note.

Still holding onto his ear, she swung back the curtains and opened the glass patio door. She used the doorway to give her momentum as she swung Vegeta out onto the balcony floor, letting go of his ear once he landed in the area that was to her satisfaction.

Yamucha's jaw dropped as he stared through the open door. What was she doing? Was she trying to get herself killed? !

"W-WOMAN! Y-YOU—," Vegeta started, his body still frozen in a half-standing, fetal position.

"LOOK!" she yelled, as she pointed her finger towards the main gate. Vegeta obediently stood up and looked in the direction she had ordered him to. The main gate now served as a barricade to thousands of reporters and bystanders, stretching for miles.

"Look at what you did!" she said sternly, sounding like an owner trying to train an animal. Vegeta was beyond words as he stared at the chaos in silence. He felt obligated to do as she told him to. He didn't know why, but something about her fearlessness commanded his respect and attention. Funny, her fearlessness toward him was part of the reason why he was ever attracted to her in the first place. But this….this took an amazing amount of courage. He was amazed at the amount of gall she had, especially after the display of dominance he tried to show in blowing up her living room. Clearly, his plan to get back at her backfired.

"How do you expect me to explain this?"

"Ah—"

"How am I supposed to get rid of all of these people?"

Vegeta growled between clenched teeth. He continued to rub his ear slightly with his left hand. His eyes widened as he saw a red stain on his thumb.

"YOU CUT ME!" He yelled, sounding like a child feeling betrayed after his mother's scorning.

"QUIET!"

"Hmph."

"How am I supposed to take you to a hotel without all of these people following us?"

"Woman—"

"I SAID QUIET!"

"Grr…WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME QUESTIONS IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO RESPOND?"

"THEY'RE RHETORICAL QUESTIONS IDIOT! I'M TRYING TO MAKE A POINT!"

"WELL GET TO IT ALREADY!"

"ARRGHMPH!" She screamed, her hands flailing in the air. Vegeta instinctively protected his ears with his hands.

"Ok Vegeta, here's the point," she said with a strict tone, "You don't want to stay here because this place has a hole in it that YOU created. You wanted to stay at a hotel, even though I already have to pay to fix this mess. Ok great, I'd _love _to have you out of here, but there's no way we can go anywhere without getting hounded by the press. Get it, jackass?"

"Mmmrrr…"

"Are you going to go to your room now, or are you just going to stand there and growl?"

"You are really testing my patience!"

"You're testing mine!" she shot back, "There's nothing I can do for you, so get out of my fucking room and when it gets dark, feel free to disappear."

"Hmph," he muttered, as he briskly walked towards the exit. As he took a right out of the doorway, he noticed Yamucha in his peripherals.

"And what are you looking a—"

"DON'T TALK TO HIM!" Vegeta heard her yell from inside her room. He gave Yamucha one last glance before he decided to just throw in the towel and head for his room. It seemed like to safest place to be at this point in time…

Yamucha ran into the room as soon as Vegeta was out of his line of vision.

"Holy crap Bulma, that was awesome!" He cheered with excitement. He had never seen the prince lose an argument, and she schooled him!

"Thank you!" She smiled, flipping her hair as she turned to face his direction. Yamucha blushed as the sunlight illuminated her figure and her face appeared to glow.

"Wow…" the word quietly escaped his lips without him knowing.

"What?" Bulma asked softly, her smile so friendly now, after the successful verbal beat down she had just given Vegeta.

"Nothing…" he blushed. _She's so beautiful_, is what he was really thinking. Not that he could ever tell her that.

"Well Yamucha, you're going to have to stay here tonight, if you don't mind."

"Huh?"

"Well, if Vegeta can't leave, I don't see why you should be able to either," she smiled, touching the tip of her nose with her index finger.

"Nnn!" he nodded happily.

* * *

Piccolo's eyes grew large, as he hovered above the clouds over Capsule Corporation. He had floated there for an extended period of time, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He used his acute sense of hearing to listen in on the conversations that were of interest to him. He was shocked to hear that Bulma had made Vegeta bleed, and he even heard the Saiyan scream in pain! It was all quite amusing, as Piccolo had never really cared for Vegeta. But everything seemed to be as it should. Bulma was pregnant with Vegeta's child, and she was in good health. Piccolo had never thought that the wellbeing of these two lunatics would be a priority in his anti-androids strategy, but now it was simply something checked off of his "to-do" list. He could now return to his training without the fate of Trunks lying heavy on his conscious.


End file.
